What is Keyhole Surgery?
A thin surgical telescope is inserted into the abdomen through a 5mm port allowing the surgeon to visualise the internal organs without opening the abdomen. Subsequent ports can then be inserted to allow for surgical instruments to be are then introduced into the abdomen to allow a variety of procedures to be performed.
Why is keyhole desexing best for my pet?
Clinical studies have shown that keyhole surgery for spaying of female dogs and neutering of male dogs with undescended testicles has increased benefits when compared to traditional (open) surgery.
- Smaller wounds heal rapidly with minimal scarring
- Less surgical trauma and pain
- Faster and more comfortable recovery from surgery
- Better surgical and visualisation and therefore, a safer surgery
What procedures can be performed?
There are a large number of procedures that can be performed using keyhole surgery and include:
- Female Desexing
- Tumour Diagnostics
- Retained Testicle Removal
- Exploratory Surgeries
- Gastropexies
- Bladder Stone Removal
- Liver Biopsies
- Intestinal Foreign Body Removal
- Pancreatic Biopsies
- Gall Bladder Removal
- Intestinal Biopsies
- Feeding Tube Placement
- Lymph Node Biopsies
- Plus many more…
There are also several advanced procedures that can be performed including thoracoscopy, which allows visualisation and minimally invasive surgical procedures to be performed in the chest cavity.
Due to the cost of the equipment used, keyhole surgery does cost slightly more than traditional open surgical techniques. The benefits and advantages of keyhole surgery far outweigh the marginal increase in costs.
In a nutshell, your pet receives the same benefits humans receive when they choose keyhole surgery over open surgery. It is also important to remember that most pet insurance policies will cover keyhole surgery procedures. If you would like more information on any of our keyhole procedures, please chat to our trained staff.