Watch this Short Video of a Papilloma Being Removed From a 125 lb Sea Turtle In Florida Using a CO2 Veterinary Surgical Laser
Turtle papillomavirus is a significant threat to the sea turtle population and it stimulates the growth of papillomas. Some are mild; many are severe. They can be large or small and can occur anywhere on the body. Most turtles have multiple growths. They can interfere with swimming, eating, and even vision due to occurrence on and around the eyes. Laser removal has become standard of care treatment due to the most humane recovery with less pain and bleeding. It also results in the quickest recovery time to get the turtles back out in the ocean and has the lowest overall morbidity and mortality rates than any other method including standard scalpel excision, radiosurgery, or cryosurgery!
