| Laser
Surgery
Lasers beam animal surgery into
the 21st century
By
John Geary
<
Previous Page
Expect
to pay more
One disadvantage, from a pet owner’s
perspective, is the fee. Laser surgery
costs more than conventional procedures.
“We charge our usual fees, plus
an extra charge for use of the laser,”
says Prince. “It’s like a
value-added service, where you get the
basic service for ‘X’ dollars
and add the laser for ‘Y’
dollars.”
In some clinics, the option of choosing
conventional surgery or laser surgery
may also be disappearing. “There
are some procedures we will no longer
do the conventional way because it’s
so much better with the laser,”
says Prince.
While there may be many advantages to
laser surgery, Moll cautions that a laser
will not compensate for lack of skill.
“If you’re a crappy surgeon
beforehand, using a laser will not make
you a good surgeon,” he says. “It’s
another tool, but if you don’t know
how to use it, it won’t make you
a better surgeon.”
While many veterinarians enthusiastically
adopt laser surgery technology, others
remain skeptical about its uses in veterinary
medicine. Dr. Noel Moens of the University
of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College
says that, while there are some valid
uses for lasers in veterinary medicine,
the jury is still out on the benefits
of laser surgery. His main concerns revolve
around lack of scientific documentation
about what lasers can and cannot do.
“Many claims made about lasers have
not been substantiated,” Moens says.
“It is usually anecdotal evidence
that it is less painful, that there is
less swelling, etc. All that might be
somewhat true, but we do not have real
publication in veterinary medicine that
shows it is really a big benefit.”
As for claims about higher precision,
like Moll, Moens believes that depends
on the skill of the operator and perhaps
on the type of laser the vet uses. While
more expensive devices use a light beam
to help the surgeon focus the laser, many
of the less expensive lasers do not.
“With many CO2 lasers, the accuracy
relies on estimating where the beam’s
focus point is. If you’re unfocused,
you will cause burns on the outside of
your wounds, which probably means
increased pain and swelling.”
With all the apparent advantages, however,
Moll is confident the use of pet laser
surgery will continue to increase during
the next decade. “It’s the
wave of the future. Every day we’re
finding new applications for this tool,
and we will continue to expand our abilities,
our knowledge base and the procedures
we do. The reason is very simple: the
response of the patient is just so dramatic.”
Prince echoes that sentiment. “The
benefit to the patients is what’s
most important to me,” he says.
“I’m committed to doing everything
I can to make things better for my patients.
“When people call me back and say,
‘You told me my cat wouldn’t
be too active the next few days, but when
I got home, he jumped up and ran along
the fence,’ that, to me, is why
I’m doing what I’m doing.”
For more information,
visit
www.petlasers.com
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