Laparoscopic Ovariectomy (keyhole spay)
We are delighted to announce that we are now able to offer laparoscopic surgery at The Hampshire Vet.
‘Keyhole’ spays have become increasingly popular recently due to its minimally invasive technique and patients rapid recovery.
Benefits
Keyhole spaying offers several significant advantages compared to traditional open surgery:
- Smaller Incisions -Typically 5-10mm, resulting in reduced tissue trauma & more comfortable recovery.
- Significantly reduced post-op pain – Most dogs require less pain medication and show notably greater ease of movement within hours.
- Faster return to normal activity – Many dogs are comfortable walking & behaving normally much sooner, reducing stress for both pet and owner.
- Lower risk of post-op complication – Smaller wounds reduce likelihood of wound breakdown, infection & trauma.
- Improved visualisation of ovaries – Use of a laparoscopic camera allows precise identification and removal of ovarian pedicles, enhancing surgical accuracy.
- Ideal for active or workings dogs – Much lower disruption to training & lifestyle.
Considerations
- Cost- Unfortunately laparoscopic equipment and specialist training is very expensive.
- Suitability – Extremely small dogs (typically less than 10kg) are unsuitable.
- Requires general anaesthesia – This is for the safety and comfort of your dog, but this is often notably shorter than traditional spay.
- Rare risk of conversion to open surgery – In unusual circumstances (i.e. bleeding or poor visibility), the surgeon may need to switch to a traditional surgical approach for safety.
What’s the difference to a traditional spay?
In a traditional spay, both ovaries and the uterus are removed through a 5-10cm incision in the midline of your dogs abdomen, there is pulling on ovarian pedicles which causes increased pain and there is a larger incision which requires longer to heal. Recovery time following a traditional spay is 14-21 days.
Keyhole spay removes only the ovaries, allowing for a faster and less traumatic surgical procedure. Ovary removal is sufficient to eliminate nearly all risk of uterine diseases, conditions such as pyometra (uterine infection) and uterine cancer are typically hormone driven, when ovaries are removed the hormone supply is also greatly reduced. The same applies to mammary cancer risk too.
Regardless of route, we generally recommend dogs are spayed 3 months after their first season, although this can vary depending on breed.
Cost:
Prices include general anaesthesia, intravenous fluids and post operative pain relief and range from £725-825. Click the link below to see exact prices based on your dogs weight:
