Laparoscopy: A blessing for your FURBALL

Since last many decades t here have been various improvements in the anesthetic drugs and protocols, so as to reduce the risk of anesthesia in pets. But the post operative care still remains an area of worry for pet parents as it can lead to various complications if anything goes wrong. To reduce the post operative care to the minimum, laparoscopic surgeries have become really popular,
The boon of laparoscopy
Laparoscopic surgery is considered as a blessing to the surgical technique in veterinary practices. It is also known as ‘Invisible Surgery’ and ‘Key Hole Surgery’ as the incisions is very small and can heal very fast. Not only in veterinary practice but in human medicine also, laparoscopic surgeries have gained a lot of popularity.
It is a modern surgical technique in which abdominal surgeries are performed through small incisions, using a rigid or flexible scope with an integrated high-definition colour magnifying camera and fibre optic light source.A laparoscopic surgery gives the veterinarian the ability to explore the abdominal cavity using a miniature camera instead of performing a traditional open procedure. Once the camera is inserted through a small incision, the surgeon can use it to view individual organs and guide surgical instruments to execute the desired procedure.
The inflation of the abdomen is commonly done using carbon-dioxide gas so as to elevate the abdominal wall above the internal organs, creating a larger field for viewing and working. With a larger field for working, the laparoscope permits better visualization of structures which are viewed on a large high-definition screen wherein tiny details can be seen that would be undetected with the naked eye.
Once the area has been thoroughly scoped, highly specialized instruments are used to perform the surgery or the desired procedure.
Minimum pain & maximum care
Since our patients are voiceless, diagnostic medicine can offer few unique challenges for veterinarians. Laparoscopy can tackle the challenges by providing a method in which the v e t c a n gain valuable d i a g n o s t i c information using abdominal exploration and the vet can also take organ biopsy, while minimizing the discomfort to your pet.
Laparoscopic surgeries have many advantages over abdominal surgery, including a smaller incision site, decreased postoperative care, reduced need for medication and quicker recovery time. However, pet parents need to understand that not every procedure or patient is an ideal candidate for laparoscopy.
A major benefit of veterinary laparoscopic surgery is significant reduction in postoperative pain. A study in American Veterinary Medical Association Journal demonstrated upto 65% less pain in laparoscopic versus traditional open spay.
There are always two sides to a coin. Now that you know the advantages, you should be aware of the disadvantages as well. It is time consuming as compared to traditional methods. Surgeons have limited range of motion due to tiny hole.For some pet parents, a major drawback can be the cost of the procedure. Due to the sophistication of the equipment and the surgeon’s skill, these procedures are often more expensive than traditional open surgeries. But the good news is that laparoscopic surgeries come under the umbrella of various pet insurance companies. For many processes, a laparoscopy surgery is better as compared to traditional surgery. It can also be useful for processes like vital organs biopsies, stomach tacking, cryptorchid neuter to remove retained testicles, abdominal exploratory surgery, and arthrocopic surgeries.
Veterinary laparoscopy is indeed good news for pet parents. Likewise, it is a valuable tool to veterinarians desiring to offer the best quality care to the pet and their parents emotionally.
(Dr Dishant Saini is from Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology; Dr Aeknath Virendra from Department of Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics; Dr Gajendra S Khandekar is professor from Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology; and Dr Santoshmani D Tripathi is assistant professor from Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, Mumbai Veterinary College, Parel, Mumbai