Laser Surgery is a fairly new technology to the field of veterinary medicine. It can be used in place of a scalpel blade for most surgeries. A laser works by heating the water inside of cells, causing the cell to open and separate. Through this process the laser seals nerve endings, blood vessels, and lymphatics (the fluid system in the body associated with swelling).
The ultimate benefit of the laser to conventional surgery is less pain, less bleeding, and less swelling. This has all been reported and demonstrated in human medicine also. The most dramatic example of this in veterinary surgery is found in cat declawing. When the laser is used there is virtually no bleeding during surgery, bandages are typically not needed post-operatively, and our patients stay only one night.