Veterinary Laser Surgery

Welcome to the 21st Century in Veterinary Laser Surgery

As growing numbers of veterinary clinicians are beginning to appreciate the many ways in which a laser can benefit their patients and their practice, VetScalpel has designed a family of fine surgical CO₂ laser systems that combine state-of-the-art laser science with the latest advances in digital technology.

The VetScalpel laser provides unparalleled precision and control (it can remove a single layer of cells if desired), and yet offers enough power to perform large animal surgeries. A VetScalpel veterinary laser system can help expand the scope of the veterinary practice – the unique hemostatic properties of the laser beam and the ability to treat previously inaccessible sites allow the clinician to perform procedures that he or she may not have considered practical using conventional scalpel method.

VetScalpel’s commitment to clinical education and training will bring veterinarians up to speed quickly, and help them incorporate new laser applications into their practices.

What is CO₂ Laser Surgery?

How the VetScalpel CO₂ laser cuts:

A LASER (abbreviation for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an optoelectronic device that produces highly concentrated light rays. Interaction of laser light with the living tissue provides a fundamentally different approach to surgery than conventional scalpel procedures. The CO₂ laser emits an intense beam of light that, because of its wavelength of 10.6 micrometers, is highly absorbed by the water-rich soft tissue, making the CO₂ laser ideal for soft-tissue surgeries (see our Technology – Wavelength page for detailed explanation). The resulting concentration of laser energy into a shallow, well-defined volume of penetration, unique to the CO₂ laser, ensures safe, efficient and predictable tissue removal while minimizing the zone of necrosis at the margins of the cut. The CO₂ laser beam has little or no effect on the tissues beyond the target area.

How the VetScalpel CO₂ laser ablates and coagulates soft tissue:

The clinician can adjust the veterinary laser’s effect on the tissue by simply changing the distance between the handpiece tip and the tissue. The tip does not mechanically touch the tissue. When the tip is held just above the surface of the tissue, the laser is ready for incisional work; small blood vessels, capillaries, and nerve endings are sealed as the laser beam proceeds along the target. Drawing the tip slightly farther from the surface allows for the ablation/vaporization of larger tissue volumes. Moving the tip even farther away enables the coagulation of larger blood vessels.

An intensely hot, precisely focused laser beam instantly vaporizes the tissue while sealing capillaries, small blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerve endings, with excellent clinical outcomes, as can be seen in the “Introduction to Veterinary Laser Surgery” video, or browse videos on our website: veterinary laser surgery videos.

The many uses of VetScalpel veterinary lasers:

The VetScalpel CO₂ laser system is used for incision, excision, vaporization, ablation, and coagulation of soft tissue in various veterinary practice types, such as general small animal practice, as well as specialty and referral practices (dermatology, ENT, ophthalmology, and other specialties). Among small animal veterinarians, soft-tissue CO₂ lasers are used for numerous procedures from neuters and spays to ophthalmic and dental applications and treating “hot spots”. VetScalpel also has application in ano-uro-genital procedures, orthopedics, oncology, elective procedures (such as spays, neuters, dewclaw removal, etc.) and numerous miscellaneous soft-tissue applications (i.e. abscess drainage, biopsies, lesions removal, lick granuloma, thyroidectomy, and many more). You can read about clinical outcomes of VetScalpel laser surgery in the Case Studies section of this website, which is compiled of real cases published in the Educational Series of the Veterinary Practice News.

A rapidly expanding use of the CO₂ laser technology is in the removal of unsightly warts and cysts. Many pet owners were previously reluctant to subject their pets to the trauma of surgery, even for these minor procedures. Now they can be performed quickly and easily, with very little pain.

To summarize, the clinical benefits of VetScalpel CO₂ laser surgery include the following:

• Reduced pain and swelling promote a quicker recovery.
• Less bleeding simplifies surgery, shortens it and may reduce the need for and the duration of anesthesia.
• Instant sterilization of the wound lowers the risk of infection.
• Minimized overall trauma for the patient.

VetScalpel Surgical CO₂ Laser Clinical Applications

The VetScalpel CO₂ laser can easily replace a scalpel in soft-tissue surgeries. Moreover, there are certain laser surgery procedures that veterinarians consider laser-specific, as the technology is easy to maneuver and it permits quick debulking with control of bleeding. For example, Dr. John C. Godbold is convinced that nasal hyperkeratosis is one of those procedures and states that; “it just can’t be done any other way”. (Godbold JC. CO₂ laser surgery: Standard of care. Veterinary Practice News. March 2012:22.)

Dr. David Duclos also named several such procedures, where the CO₂ laser has a significant advantage over scalpel or is the only surgical treatment option, i.e. nodular sebaceous hyperplasia, apocrine cysts, follicular tumors, meibomian gland tumors, actinic in situ carcinoma (actinic keratosis), pinnal tumors, nevi and skin tags, squamous cell carcinoma, etc. (Duclos DD. CO₂ laser surgery: dermatologic applications. Veterinary Practice News. June 2012:32).

The VetScalpel flexible fiber CO₂ laser enables the veterinarian to operate on lesions in difficult places. For instance, Dr. Gary D. Norsworthy named among such lesions oral tumors, odontogenic tumor (epulis) around the teeth, eosinophilic granulomas at the base of the tongue, some facial tumors (because appropriate margins are not always possible), and perilaryngeal tumors. (Norsworthy, GD. CO₂ lasers treat many feline ailments. Veterinary Practice News. August 2012:24). Dr. Norsworthy also listed stenotic nares, entropion and ceruminous gland adenomas among procedures, where CO₂ is the surgical instrument of choice (ibid.).

VetScalpel CO₂ lasers have been used on virtually every kind of animal, including dogs, cats, birds, horses, ferrets, rabbits, iguanas, chinchillas, guinea pigs, monkeys, and turtles. VetScalpel laser products are successfully used for incision, excision, vaporization, ablation, and coagulation of soft tissue in many veterinary specialties. The list of sample laser-specific procedures across a variety of specialties provided below demonstrates the versatility of VetScalpel for soft-tissue surgical CO₂ laser treatment.

Click on one of the buttons below to learn more about the laser’s clinical applications in specific veterinary specialties:

Key Features of the VetScalpel CO₂ Laser

What makes VetScalpel veterinary lasers outstanding surgical tools? Briefly, VetScalpel offers the following essential features:

• Four different models
• Up to 45 watts continuous wave (CW) and 30 watts average SuperPulse
• Over 100 watts of peak SuperPulse power
• Flexible fiber waveguide beam delivery
• A wide selection of handpieces and tips
• Six types of disposable-free tipless handpieces
• Adjustable tipless handpiece with laser spot diameters of 0.25, 0.4, and 0.8 mm
• Touch-screen control panel
• Built-in library with a step-by-step description of clinical cases accompanied by photos and videos
• Easily portable

Advantages of VetScalpel

The most advanced technology

The VetScalpel team has many years of experience designing and building CO₂ surgical lasers and a reputation for excellence. VetScalpel’s senior staff and consultants were instrumental in the creation of the most widely-used CO₂ surgical laser ever made – the Luxar Novapulse™ laser, also sold under the Accuvet™ brand name. The VetScalpel team has used this technical expertise to devise and manufacture its next-generation flexible fiber CO₂ laser systems. The outcome was an efficient, powerful, precise, and overall excellent surgical laser. Over 12,000 physicians, dentists, and veterinarians across the world have enjoyed numerous clinical benefits of the VetScalpel CO₂ laser products.

Please read what your colleagues say about their experience with VetScalpel CO₂ surgical lasers.

Maximum accessibility

The VetScalpel pen-like handpiece is used in close proximity to tissue, providing a natural, intuitive feel and superb accuracy. VetScalpel patented flexible fiber waveguide technology ensures the ease of access to hard-to-reach surgical sites – the issue that would be difficult or impossible to address with an articulated arm system or scalpel (particularly ear, nose and oral cavity, airways, etc.). VetScalpel even has accessories that bend the beam around corners! Importantly, the VetScalpel flexible fiber waveguide is light and quite easy to maneuver, which allows the surgeon to move during the surgical procedure and does not fatigue the operating hand and shoulder, unlike articulated arm systems.

Made in the USA

The VetScalpel team takes great pride in the highest quality and precision of our veterinary surgical laser systems. VetScalpel veterinary laser products are designed, built, and serviced in Bothell (near Seattle), Washington. The VetScalpel technical support service is located right at the manufacturing facility, prepared to deal with any questions or concerns veterinarians may have about their laser systems.

Conclusion

VetScalpel is an excellent surgical laser with greater precision, versatility, and ease-of-use than scalpel or electrosurge. It is specifically designed to help the clinician improve the quality of patient care and facilitate the growth of the veterinary practice.