Laparoscopic Surgery

What is Laparoscopy Surgery?

Laparoscopy is commonly known as ‘keyhole’ surgery. Instead of making a large incision into the patient's abdominal wall, 2 very small "port holes" (around 1cm) are made. Cameras and other long handled narrow instruments are placed through these ports, which allows fantastic visualisation of the whole abdomen.

The surgeon can then perform procedures and take samples in a minimally invasive fashion. This has multiple advantages for recovery and wound healing.

Laparoscopy can be used for the following procedures:

• Cryptorchid castration (removing testicles that are retained inside the abdomen)
• Ovariectomy (remove of ovaries in female dogs)
• Biopsy of certain organs (e.g. liver, pancreas)
• Gastropexy (fixing the stomach to the abdominal wall in large breed dogs at risk of stomach twisting)

A similar procedure called thoracoscopy can be used to carry out procedures inside the chest, such as making small windows in the pericardium (sac lining the heart) in cases where fluid builds up around the heart.