Technique of preparing to make an incision; note that there is no scalpel blade or anything touching the skin.
Laser Surgery
One of the latest innovations now available to veterinary medicine is the use of the carbon dioxide laser. While the majority of veterinarians continue to use the scalpel blade, Turtle Creek has replaced the scalpel with the laser for the majority of surgical procedures due to its diversity and beneficial properties.
The primary benefits of laser surgery encompass a less painful procedure, less bleeding, less tissue trauma, less swelling and overall, a faster recovery time for our patients. This cutting edge technique is extremely beneficial for declaw surgeries, oral surgeries, soft tissue mass removals, as well as routine spay and neuter procedures. Because of these advantages, post-surgical pain & swelling are greatly reduced after each procedure thus decreasing a patient's desire to lick or bite the incision site. This, in turn, helps to prevent post-surgical complications and the use of an E-collar (lamp shade collar). The number one reason our pets will lick and chew at their incision sites is due to discomfort caused by the trauma to tissue. The use of the laser significantly minimizes this trauma.
After making the incision with the use of the laser; note that there is minimal to no bleeding.
Anesthesia & Monitoring
Because there is not a defined minimum standard guideline for veterinary practices to follow when developing their anesthetic protocols, the drugs of choice for any given procedure can vary, and largely dependent on cost, availability, or which anesthetic agents the veterinarian is comfortable using. Here at Turtle Creek, we follow the latest and safest recommendations for anesthesia to develop a customized anesthesia plan for your pet.Because all pets are not the same, anesthesia should not be administered uniformly to every pet. Your pet's present physical status greatly influences his or her anesthetic needs, which is why a thorough physical examination and routine blood work are completed prior to your pet's procedure. The pairing of the physical examination and blood work analysis establishes a baseline that gives insight into how well your pet's organs are functioning. Likewise, if any abnormalities are discovered, appropriate measures can be made at that time to address potential risk factors, or to make changes in the anesthetic plan for your pet.
While under anesthesia, our anesthesia veterinary technician, who has been trained under board certified anesthesiologists, carefully watches over your pet with the use of elite and modern surgical monitoring equipment. The equipment and skills of the technician are used together to achieve proper and safe anesthetic monitoring.
