Laparoscopic Surgery for pets Now Available at Bendigo Animal Hospital

Dr Chris Allison &  Dr Max Tori Performing Laparoscopic Surgery

The Bendigo Animal Hospital has always been proud of their reputation for staying at the forefront of veterinary medicine and their latest clinic upgrades continue the trend. The human surgical field has been performing laparoscopic (or keyhole) surgery for many years and now this service is available for pets.

Dr Chris Allison who is heading the service worked at a clinic in Scotland where laparoscopic desexing was performed every day. He has seen the benefits first hand; “People think of keyhole surgery as a way to avoid large surgical scars, but the advantages extend well beyond this for us and for our pets”, he says. “Reduced pain post-operatively, reduced requirements for strict rest and reduced risk of wound complications are only a few of the advantages of these surgeries”. The procedure uses a tiny camera to view the ovaries through two small incisions in the body wall and a special device is used to seal off the blood vessels before removal.

To complement the new equipment, BAH also has a brand new surgical facility which is due to open over the next few weeks. They have added a fully equipped surgical suite and a new dental room along with dedicated cat, dog and isolation wards to keep pet stress to a minimum during their stay.

Dr Chris wanted to make clear that this service does not replace the desexing procedure that has been performed for many years; “The fact that laparoscopic surgery is available does not make traditional desexing a bad option, and we still perform these procedures every day. For those people who are worried about keeping very active puppies rested post-operatively, for those people who want working dogs back in service as quickly as possible or for those who want to try to minimise the risks of surgical complications, it gives another option that we have not previously had”.