Laser Surgery

Our hospital remains on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine and surgery by offering laser surgery! 

Benefits:

• Decreased Pain is accomplished when the laser seals the nerve endings as it cuts.  This reduces pain impulses from the surgery site.           

• Reduced Bleeding is achieved through cauterization of blood vessels as the laser beam vaporizes tissue.

• Reduced Risk of Infection due to the superheating of tissues in the incision site that destroys any bacteria. 

What is a Laser and how does it work?

LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation.  In short, it is a device that generates a beam of light energy at a specific wavelength.  The first laser was developed in 1960 with widespread use in human surgery in the late 1980's.  The most commonly used surgical laser is the carbon dioxide laser.  The wavelength of the carbon dioxide laser beam is absorbed into the water found in skin and other soft tissue, vaporizing the cells, thereby cutting tissue.  The surgeon can control the extent to which it is absorbed into the surrounding tissue, allowing extreme surgical precision.  The laser is superior to stainless steel scalpel blades for many procedures.  This exciting and important technology is used daily by the doctors of our facility to provide the most advanced and compassionate medical care for your pet.

What surgeries can be performed with the laser?

Almost any soft-tissue surgery may be performed with the laser.  Routine procedures such as spays and neuters are commonly done with the laser.  We perform feline declaws using only the laser.  The laser is also used for skin tumor removals, eyelid, and mouth surgeries.  Please be sure to ask a veterinarian or staff member if you have questions about laser surgery.