CO₂ Laser Surgery

Reduced pain, bleeding and swelling. Extreme precision. Faster recovery. The Cutting Edge CO₂ Laser Systems set a new standard for veterinary laser surgery.

Warning: Video of laser surgery. Viewer digression is advised.

Laser Surgery Overview

Cutting Edge CO₂ Laser Systems set a new standard for veterinary laser surgery by combining advanced features with easy, maintenance‐free operation. Laser energy seals nerve endings and small blood vessels as it incises or ablates tissue.

Surgical lasers have become a very important part of Veterinary medicine. The advent of the surgical laser has improved the treatment of many disease states previously treated with a scalpel or electrosurgical unit.

The veterinary laser provides the surgeon with improved hemostasis while significantly reducing the pain and swelling due to its unique properties. Using endoscopic, laparoscopic, and other minimally invasive methods, fiber directed laser energy (Diode and Ho:YAG) has been used to treat diseases of the upper and lower GI tract, including benign polyps, gastric ulcers, and intestinal neoplasia.

For most general practitioners the CO₂ generated wavelength of energy provides the greatest application in soft tissue cases with the least negative impact on surrounding tissue.

Diode generated wavelengths have more limited soft tissue handling parameters but have the advantage of being functional in a fluid environment or through endoscopic application.

Ho: YAG generated wavelength energy is used primarily for minimally invasive urological techniques for ablation of bladder, urethral, and prostatic pathological conditions in small animals.

Benefits of Laser Surgery

Veterinary laser surgery is recognized in human and veterinary medicine for the significant benefits it provides to both patients and surgeons. While several types of lasers are used for different applications, the primary device for soft tissue surgery in small and mixed animal practices is a carbon dioxide laser.

The benefits of the carbon dioxide laser are many:

Reduced Pain – The CO₂ laser beam seals nerve endings as it cuts through tissue. This reduces the amount of pain the patient feels during and after surgery.

Reduced Bleeding – The CO₂ laser beam cauterizes and seals small blood vessels as it cuts. This laser energy achieves hemostasis and provides the surgeon with a bloodless surgical field in most procedures.

Reduced Swelling – There is no physical contact between the laser and the surgical region, eliminating the tearing and bruising of tissue associated with traditional surgical methods. Lymphatic vessels are also sealed.

Reduced Infection – Laser energy acts as an antibacterial agent by producing high temperatures, effectively eliminating microorganisms.

Quicker Recovery – As a result of all of the above, laser surgery provides the benefit your clients will appreciate the most: a quicker recovery for their pet.

Testimonials

“As a surgeon, the laser opened up a whole new area of surgery I wouldn’t do normally. Most notable the dreaded soft palate resection. I now love them. In about five minutes I’ve done a bloodless surgery that help an animal breathe better.”

"First time you do [surgery] with a laser, you are absolutely amazed. It is the simplest, easiest procedure. You can tell exactly how it’s going to turn out, there’s no guesswork. It’s phenomenal"

"You can see so much easier. It’s so much cleaner, that the average person, until they see it, won’t believe the difference. Literally skin will open in front of your eyes with no bleeding."

"I do all the entropion surgeries. It is virtually bloodless. So now, I can move through it much faster and I have better accuracy."

FAQs

What types of lasers are there?

Lasers come in a variety of modalities, each suited for particular needs. CO₂, diode, YAG and other types of lasers are all used in human and veterinary medicine. While no laser suits all applications, CO₂ lasers are by far the most common laser first purchased by a small or mixed animal practice in veterinary medicine.

What is a CO₂ surgical laser?

The carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser emits a colorless, infrared light at a specific wavelength of 10,600 microns, which has an extremely high affinity for the intercellular water of cells.

How does a CO₂ surgical laser work?

The main constituent of cells-water, readily absorbs the wavelength of light produced by the CO₂ surgical laser. The spectral absorption of water provides the CO₂ laser with the ability to coagulate, cut, char, or ablate/vaporize tissue depending on the power density and the energy level applied by the surgeon. The surgeon can control the extent by which the laser beam is absorbed into surrounding tissue, resulting in an extremely precise tissue incision.

What are the clinical benefits of laser surgery for the patient?

A summary of the benefits include:

Less pain
Less bleeding
Less swelling
Extreme precision
Reduced risk of infection
Quicker recovery

What type of procedures can a laser perform?

A laser is ideal for a wide variety of procedures for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, horses and other animals. The most widely recognized procedures include but are not limited to the removal of cysts, tumors and warts, as well as specialized internal procedures.