By Catherine Gamber, DVM You likely know someone who has had, or perhaps yourself have had, a surgical procedure performed with laparoscopy and had a quick recovery afterwards. Laparoscopic surgical techniques are now being used in the veterinary field with similar benefits. A great example of this is a laparoscopic ovariectomy. Laparoscopic ovariectomy is a minimally invasive approach to spaying dogs. Two small incisions (approximately 5-10mm long) are made along the dog’s abdominal midline. One incision is used to pass the videoscope into the abdomen, while the other is for the surgical instruments. The abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide to aid in viewing of the abdominal organs and blood vessels. A special device is used to seal the blood vessels and tissue around the ovaries so that they can then be removed. The incisions are then sutured closed. Due to the size of our laparoscopic tools and the incision size needed, this kind of spay is only performed on dogs who weigh over 25 pounds. Spaying your dog laparoscopically holds many benefits compared to the traditional procedure. Visibility is improved with the videoscope, which can magnify and provide enhanced lighting. Compared to a traditional spay, where tissues connecting the […]