Keyhole Surgery
Performing Endoscopic "Keyhole" surgery
Springwell Veterinary Surgery is unique locally, in being able to offer the option of performing Endoscopic "Keyhole" surgery. This is a minimally invasive alternative to many procedures traditionally performed by open surgery. By performing procedures endoscopically our patients can benefit from all of the advantages that we see in our laparoscopic spays, including rapid recovery times, absence of pain, easy wound management and reduction in the use of perioperative antibiotics.
*WARNING SURGICAL IMAGES BELOW*
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday
8:00am to 6:30pm
Saturday
8:30am to 12:00pm
Emergency?
Always telephone our
main number: 01442 822151
Hampden Vets
Consultations
By appointment
Best of all, because our patients are happier, we remain friends!
Endoscopic surgery is performed with the use of video endoscopic telescopes and specially designed instrumentation. These are positioned in the abdomen or thorax via valved ports. The location and number of ports used is dictated by surgical anatomy. The sizes are determined by the weight of the dog, the nature of the procedure, and the choice of telescope, but may be 3.9mm, 5.0mm, 6.0mm or 11.0mm. A working surgical field is maintained in the abdomen with carbon dioxide insufflation automatically controlled by a device, which manages gas flow rates and pressures.






A Dog's Liver
A tumour within the liver of a dog

Adrenal Gland in a Dog

Laparoscopic Bitch Spay

A Pancreatic Biopsy
Compared with traditional operations involving large incisions or significant tissue ‘handling’ the benefits of endosurgery are almost immeasurable, and patient recovery is dramatically improved.
- Good examples would be:
- Removal of retained testicles
- Removal of bladder stones
- Any organ biopsies
- Removing ovarian remnants – sometimes left behind following routine spaying
- Any thoracic surgery including removal of masses, biopsies or removal of lung lobes.

Laparoscopically assisted surgery
Not all procedures can be performed within the abdomen/thorax endoscopically but we are able in some cases to perform these procedures by exteriorising the tissues for surgery, e.g. intestinal foreign body removal.
Using keyhole techniques to assist these procedures we can often dramatically reduce wound sizes. We are able to examine organs far more thoroughly than by standard methods because our telescopes magnify what we see and enable remote access.