Laparoscopy

Our surgical capabilities took a significant step forward in 2006 with the addition of a single port laparoscope. This versatile instrument has only recently been adapted for veterinary use and is the first of its kind in Canada.

Single port laparoscopic procedures are gentler, minimally invasive, less painful, and often faster than surgery conducted by the conventional approach. Studies have demonstrated that dogs spayed using this technique are 60% less painful and recover faster compared to dogs spayed using the traditional method. We at the Acadia Veterinary Clinic use BioVision’s Surgview imaging system, which is a one-port (one incision) procedure, allowing the entire surgery to be conducted through a single, 11 mm incision (about the size of an index finger).

Common surgical applications include:

• Spays
• Cryptorchid (retained testicle) correction
• Cystotomy (bladder stone removal)
• Liver, kidney or spleen biopsy
• Exploratory surgeries
• Gastropexy (potentially life-saving procedure to prevent gastric torsion in certain predisposed dog breeds)

With this equipment, biopsy samples from the liver, pancreas and kidney can be quickly collected and your pet’s internal organs can be photographed. Abnormal tissues can be biopsied for histopathological examination. Minor surgical procedures, such as the removal of polyps or foreign objects from the ear canal, can also be conducted through the endoscope.