Purton Vets in Swindon - Purton Veterinary Group
Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery
What is laparoscopic surgery?
Laparoscopy
is commonly known as keyhole surgery. The surgeon makes a few
tiny incisions then performs surgery from the outside watching on a
screen. The surgeons hands don't go inside the body.
What are the benefits of keyhole surgery?
- Performed by experienced surgeons only.
- Safer surgery as the surgeon can see far more detail than can be seen trying to look through a hole in the abdomen.
- Much less painful. Comparing dogs that have had traditional surgery vs keyhole surgery has shown that the keyhole surgery dogs are 70% more active in the 3 days after surgery because they feel less pain.
- Faster recovery post operatively with less worry.
- Small wounds (3mm to 10mm) that heal fast with a lower risk of hernia formation.
- Less internal trauma and usually no bleeding at all.
- The ability to inspect the internal organs. The image is clear and magnified so more detail is seen and areas of the abdomen are examined that would not be possible with traditional surgery.
What types of surgery can be done with via keyhole?
- The most common procedure performed is spaying dogs and we only spay dogs this way as traditional surgery has so many disadvantages for the patient and surgeon.
- Retained testicle removal - the keyhole procedure has huge benefits over traditional surgery which frequently requires large painful wounds.
- Gastropexy - attaching the stomach to the body wall to prevent a twisted stomach. This is a common problem in large breed dogs and 40% of Great Danes get twisted stomachs which is frequently fatal.
- Stomach and intestinal foreign body removal - this keyhole approach requires the stomach or intestine to be exteriorised through the body wall. There is less contamination of the abdomen and smaller wounds.
- Biopsy of kidney, liver, pancreas and intestine.
- Keyhole assisted cystotomy - the bladder is opened and explored without the need for large wounds.
Why is the traditional open bitch spay surgery not recommended?
Surgeons who have no experience of laparoscopic keyhole surgery can often see no benefit. I used to be one of them. As an experienced surgeon I make small open incisions (wounds) anyway, sometimes only a few inches long. I thought the patient would feel the same level of pain in traditional surgery as making a few small keyhole incisions.
I was wrong.
Keyhole surgery is so much
safer and less painful for the patient that we have stopped performing
open traditional spays because we cannot justify putting dogs through
the pain of open surgery when we have a better way. Even though we charge more for the procedure, it still costs us more than the increase in fees compensates us but we would rather subsidise this surgery and allow our patients to benefit.
Two small
keyhole incisions hurt less than one larger open incision but by far the
most important point is that the ovary does not have to get pulled out
through the belly button, so there is no tearing of ligaments or
stretching and pulling on internal tissue. It's this stretching and
tearing that causes pain, bleeding and complications. The surgeon has
to seal blood vessels with knots by hand and these can slip
causing life threatening bleeding. The surgeon cannot see the knot easily and
check for bleeding as it springs back inside alongside the spine. With traditional surgery there is often significant bleeding. With
keyhole surgery there are no knots, the blood vessels are sealed with
heat and there is no tearing of tissue. This means that there is almost
no bleeding at all.
Contact Us
Map
Designed by
Copyright © 2007 Purton Veterinary Group. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions