Spaying question -- scalpel vs laser

GildedIcon

Can not find anyone who has used the laser tech. Our vet gave us the option. The only downside to the laser is $$ and longer recovery time. We are fine with the $$$ but the longer recovery time is concerning. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

mainerocks

I don't know anything about this so excuse my ignorance, but if it's longer recovery time, what's the up side?

GildedIcon

mainerocks:

I don't know anything about this so excuse my ignorance, but if it's longer recovery time, what's the up side?

Less bleeding and less pain. 

Mrs.Izzy

Daisy's was done with a lazer, we were given the choice as well. My vet claimed that it would lessen the healing time as well as pain. She was pretty much back to normal in a week or so. The incision healed really nicely, even when she has a really short field cut, I can't see that anything ever happened to her. My parents have also gone this route with their dog and highly recommended it to me. I'd definitely go that way again in the future. 

Mryan209

My dog's spay was done with a laser and I found the healing time to be shorter.  It worked really well for us compared to how they were always done with my parents' dogs. 

callitcompulsive

My cat was neutered with laser, and honestly, as soon as the anesthesia was worn off from the procedure, he was back to normal. I thought the laser had shorter recovery time (less tissue damage with laser v scalpel, etc)

 (I know spay=/= neuter, but I just wanted to share my experience with it. I'd spend the money for laser again in a heartbeat since Josey had zero ill-effects)

boylema

Ditto Izzy, Mryan & Callit! Our experience was exactly the same.

Doing the laser for his neuter was one the best decision/choice we've ever made!

GildedIcon

Thanks everyone. Laser it is!

spalko

We use laser at the clinic and it is so much better for the animal than scalpel. It lessens the chance of infection, bleeding, pain, and has a shorter recovery time. Since it cauterizes the tissue chances of the animal bleeding are slim to none afterwards. We always tell clients to come back in 10 days to have sutures removed but that is just to ensure full healing of the wound. Most animals are back to themselves within 2 days.

WaitingOnTwoPinkLines

We don't use laser at our clinic, but I can tell you our experience.

Our patients are back to normal before they leave the clinic the next morning. We practice preemptive pain control, so the bounce out as happy as when they bounced in. In the 2+ years I've worked at this particular clinic, I've seen two surgical complications - one a seroma that developed after a large tumor was removed from a dog's chest, & one a suture reaction (which has nothing to do with laser vs. scalpel).

All of that being said, we saw a Westie pup last week that had been spayed with a laser at another clinic. Her incision was double the size of our typical spay incision, & she had a large seroma. She also had external skin sutures that will have to be removed - I don't know if this is a requirement for laser surgeries or not, but we use absorbable sutures that are buried in the skin (nothing to remove or for the pet to get ahold of). 

beekozy

I believe its not a longr healing time if the laser is used...its the other way around...longer healing with the scalpal