Keyhole Surgery
We are excited to announce that our Stokesley branch now offers keyhole surgery, a minimally invasive option for several procedures, including the popular keyhole spay.
A keyhole spay involves making two small cuts (5-10mm) into your dog's abdomen, through which a small camera and instrument are inserted. The abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide and the ovaries are removed through the small incision 'ports'. This option is currently available for dogs over the size of 10kg and is our preferred method for dogs weighing over 25kg.
Why choose keyhole surgery for your pet?
- due to the smaller incision size, your pet will feel less pain after the procedure
- there is evidence that this technique is safer and has fewer post-operative complications than a traditional spay
- the recovery period is much shorter - with most pets resuming normal daily activities within 3 days
We recommend neutering female dogs 8-12 weeks after their first season. Neutering eliminates the risk of unwanted pregnancy, uterine diseases including infection (pyometra) and uterine cancer, as well as greatly reducing the risk of mammary cancers which are linked to the hormone oestrogen.
Unlike a traditional spay, where both the ovaries and uterus are removed, keyhole spays only remove the ovaries. The risk of disease in the remaining uterus is extremely low.
Are there any drawbacks to keyhole spays?
- requires a larger shaved area despite smaller incisions
- not suitable for patients with obvious pathology of the ovary or uterine horn. If a patient was found to have ovarian or uterine disease at the time of a keyhole procedure - we would instead convert to a traditional spay
- the price is higher than a traditional spay as the practice has invested heavily in state-of-the-art equipment and staff training. The surcharge for keyhole surgery is £250 above the standard spay price
- at present we do not offer this service to dogs <10kg
Besides keyhole spays, we can also offer minimally invasive surgeries for retained testicles, gastropexy and organ biopsies.
If you are interested in a keyhole procedure for your dog, please contact the practice for more information or for an estimate.
We also accept referrals for keyhole procedures on an out-patient basis.