Laparoscopic Spey and More

This is surgery in the abdomen performed through small holes instead of a large open wound. A sterile camera and instruments can enter through these holes so surgery can be performed while looking at an external screen. This is the highest standard of care for people with surgery performed this way whenever possible.

The benefits include

• A more rapid recovery
• Significantly less surgical pain
• Less surgical wound complications
• Less risk of infection
• Great surgical visualisation due to magnification

Another name is the LOVE spey ( short for laparoscopic ovariectomy ). As the cute name suggests this is a substantially less painful procedure. This is not just due to the small visible wounds but also the negligible internal trauma that can’t be seen by pet owners.

At the start of each lap spey procedure we have a 360 degree exploration of the abdomen which is impossible with a standard spey. Only the ovaries are usually removed which are easily located for safe and complete removal. The ovaries are removed without having to stretch them out of the abdomen and the surgical site can be viewed to ensure no bleeding has occurred. The ovaries are removed with the amazing Ligasure vessel sealing device that causes minimal tissue damage. It’s as if no surgery has occurred afterwards.

In a standard procedure ovaries are not seen but blindly hooked then stretched out of the abdomen causing some bruising to the abdominal wall. Anaesthetic depth often needs increasing at this time indicating the pain involved. The whole uterus and ovaries are typically included in the standard surgery with multiple thick sutures used to prevent bleeding. These clumps of tissue when tied off are dropped back into the abdomen where they can no longer be checked for bleeding.

In our hands this has been a definite yes. The standard spey especially in large or overweight dogs can be quite challenging and it is often a procedure given to Vets early in their surgical career. Vets often like to spey young where the procedure can be easier.

Because it can be difficult to pull an ovary right out of the abdomen for removal, parts of an ovary can be accidentally left behind which will result in your pet coming on heat still. This is very unlikely with a lap spey and laparoscopy is by far the best way to find these ovary remnants.

Sometimes thick sutures in traditional speys can slip off resulting in unseen internal bleeding. This can have serious consequences if missed.

Because vets are trying to make smaller wounds in traditional speys this can risk other issues. There are a number of reported cases where a spey hook has damaged a ureter or the neck of the bladder has had a suture accidentally placed around it which creates a very bad situation. Because of awesome magnification and active observation this is not an issue with lap speys.

We actually take referrals for dogs like Dobermans and Greyhounds that can have bleeding disorders or very large or deep chested dogs that can be more risky for standard open surgery.

Short answer is yes with countries in Europe having done the procedure this way for many years. Without ovaries the uterus is inactive. Problems arise when part of an ovary is accidentally left inside the pet which can be more easily avoided with a lap spey. The thick stump of the uterus can be a location for suture slippage and post operative bleeding in traditional speys as well as increasing patient trauma unnecessarily.

Bladder stone removal 
This is a perfect use of laparoscopy and a procedure we love. This is a very common problem for many of the small breed dogs with small sharp stones made of calcium oxalate being most common. They cause significant bladder inflammation and discomfort, can block the ability to urinate in male dogs and always require surgical removal.

Apart from being less traumatic and painful, the ability to see in the bladder in high definition improves the quality of treatment dramatically.

It is such a superior technique that the ACVIM guidelines for vets recommends this technique whenever possible.

In traditional bladder surgery the large bladder wound requires more sutures which can act as a nidus for stones to reform around. Because the bladder collapses and the interior of the bladder can’t be seen in open surgeries stones and grit are sometimes left behind. With the magnification of laparoscopy the stones look like boulders and even the smallest particle of grit can be identified and removed. We believe this can extend the time between relapses with this condition.

Laparoscopic bladder stone removal can be safely repeated multiple times.

Retained testicles

Laparoscopy is hands down the best way to manage testicles that haven’t descended and are still in the abdomen. It can be a challenge to locate an undescended testicle sometimes requiring extensive surgical wounds. With laparoscopy a tiny wound for a camera locates the testicle in an instant for removal through a small extra targeted wound.

Gastropexy

This is a procedure to prevent future rotation of the stomach which causes a life threatening situation called Gastric Distension and Volvulus ( GDV).

This is most common in large to giant breeds of dog and dogs with deep chests, nervous disposition or a family history of GDV.

A preventative procedure called a gastropexy can permanently attach the stomach to the abdominal wall so it can’t rotate and cause this often fatal condition.

Performing this surgery minimally invasively possibly at the same time as a lap spey makes this a way more practical and comfortable option to save more dogs.

Organ biopsies

Super cool option for accurate biopsies through tiny wounds in sick animals. Most frequently used for collecting liver samples.

Remnant ovaries

Brilliant option for locating small parts of ovaries left behind during traditional speys. Magnification and exposure is way superior not to mention the tiny wounds compared to a full open exploratory surgery.