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Advances in Veterinary Medicine Prove Beneficial to
Skye |
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Skye, a two-year-old New Zealand White rabbit,
was brought to Acacia Animal Hospital after being bitten by another rabbit. The bite wound
was on the left side of Skye's face, between her eye and nose. At presentation the wound
was swollen, bruised, and very deep -- almost extending into her mouth. Initial
conservative therapy, with systemic antibiotics and topically applied antibiotics, was
unsuccessful. Not surprisingly, one week later, Skye's facial wound developed into an
abscess.
Due to the limited amount of skin on the face, and the proximity to
underlying bone, I elected to use laser surgery to ablate (melt and vaporize) the abscess.
Minimal bleeding was experienced during the surgery and very minimal margins were taken
around the abscess so that we could close the incision with sutures.
Postoperatively, Skye experienced almost no swelling, did not appear
to be in pain, and she was eating within hours after the surgery. Unfortunately, because
of the conservative surgical approach necessitated by the close proximity of the abscess
to her eye, two weeks later another small abscess appeared at the front end of the
surgical incision. A second conservative laser surgery resulted in complete resolution of
the abscess.
Post-surgical wound.
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| Today, Skye is completely healed. Her fur has
grown back and she is once again a beautiful white bunny.
This surgery would have been very difficult, if not impossible,
without the advent of laser surgery. Traditional surgery would have resulted in a lot of
bleeding, pain and swelling. Additionally, the use of a scalpel would have necessitated
taking wider margins to completely remove the abscess, resulting in the inability to
suture the wound closed. We would have had to manage the surgical site as an open wound
until it scarred in. |
| Laser surgery has been used on humans for nearly
30 years. Now, we can offer to our pets the same benefits that we enjoy with laser
surgery. Laser surgery is less painful than traditional surgery because it seals the nerve
endings. It also causes little or no swelling because, unlike a blade, it does not crush
the tissues. Finally, because it seals small blood vessels as it cuts them, laser surgery
results in a nearly bloodless procedure. In qualified hands, laser surgery is far superior
to traditional surgical techniques. When proper safety precautions are taken, there are
nearly no negative effects.
All healed and looking beautiful! |
Acacia Animal Hospital has been using
laser surgery for over a year. We are very impressed with its uses and effects, and can
recommend it for nearly any surgery. While it costs slightly more, its benefits are well
worth it.
Just ask Skye!
Carmine Bausone, DVM
Acacia Animal Hospital
Editor's note: Acacia Animal Hospital also uses laser
surgery for treatments including spay/neuter, lump removals, amputations, etc. |
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