New veterinary technology advancements have improved how veterinarians diagnose and treat diseases. In fact, with society’s increasing demands, animal health solutions have made significant progress. Veterinary facilities have introduced advanced machinery and equipment to treat pet patients.
Veterinarians now use technologies previously available only to humans, such as laparoscopy, ultrasound, and MRI. These veterinary technological advancements save time and ensure better animal care. Above all, technological advances are making the surgeries safer and less stressful for animals.
In this article, we will discuss how veterinary surgeries have evolved with technological advances.
Impact of Advanced Animal Health Solutions on Veterinary Surgery
Technological innovations have resulted in significant developments in surgical procedures. The rapid advancements in surgical procedures encourage the development of new and improved techniques. For example, advanced machinery speeds up operations and reduces recovery time. As a result, the use of technology has resulted in better outcomes for pets.
Here are some of the advanced animal health solutions that assist in improving veterinary surgical procedures.
Minimal invasive surgery
Minimally invasive surgery is performed using small incisions, cameras that can see inside the body cavity, and instruments inserted through portals. Minimally invasive surgical procedures can now be performed on almost any part of the pet’s body. For example, heart and other internal organ procedures are now minimally invasive. Veterinarians are striving to increase the number of surgeries that can be performed using this technique.
Advantages
- This technology significantly reduces post-surgery recovery time for pets, allowing them to resume normal activities sooner.
- Many of these procedures can be performed as outpatient procedures, which benefits animals who are easily stressed in a hospital setting.
Laser treatment
One of the most critical advances in veterinary medicine is the use of lasers to treat veterinary diseases. Light waves with wavelengths ranging from 600 to 1070 nanometers are used in this procedure. During the treatment, the operator slowly moves the laser wand back and forth over the damaged tissues. Most animals find it relaxing because it produces a warm, pleasant sensation.
Advantages
- The technique is highly beneficial to animals as It makes monitoring less invasive.
- Laser therapy is advantageous for animal patients who have limited medical treatment options.
- It is used in various procedures such as dental extractions, spays, neuters, soft tissue surgeries, wound healing, and chronic pain and inflammatory conditions.
Interventional Radiology
Innovative veterinary therapies may offer alternatives to traditional surgery for your pet. Interventional radiology uses advanced imaging tools to visualize many areas of your pet’s body for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. For example, it includes long diagnostic catheters and guidewires to access vascular paths or openings. It also includes balloon catheters to open narrowed regions and stents of various components to hold open a vessel or part of an organ. The procedure is carried out through blood vessels or passages such as the mouth, airway, or urethra.
Advantages
- Interventional radiology is now used to treat a variety of conditions. For example, placing tracheal stents in the airway, delivering stents for urine flow, and transferring chemotherapy agents directly into the blood vessels.
- The primary advantage of interventional radiology is that it is less invasive than traditional surgical procedures.
3D Printing
3D printing is instrumental in animal surgical procedures. 3D printing technology is also widely used to produce custom-designed animal prosthetics. The procedure begins with a computerized axial tomography (CT scan), which captures cross-sectional images of the patient and transmits them to a monitor. The scan data is used to create or draw a structure. Veterinarians can then use a computer mouse to spin the bone or muscle on their screen to understand what’s going on and its level of deformity.
Advantages
- The ability of 3D printing to visualize disease conditions before surgical procedures improves the surgeon’s ability to understand all aspects of treatment and formulate a comprehensive plan.
- The technology provides veterinarians with near-real-time information on the animal’s internal bone and muscle structures.
- It enables rapid prototyping, which aids in creating animal bone models from information gathered via computed scans.
Wrapping Up
Hence, veterinary surgery has seen great advancements. Technological advancements in animal health solutions have made animal surgeries less traumatic and swift. In fact, the advancement ensures faster postoperative recovery and better diagnosis. You can get more information on advanced surgical procedures from VetandTech. It is a veterinary-focused information source. You can learn about the various veterinary surgeries through their featured surgical procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most commonly performed veterinary surgery?
Spaying or neutering, dental extractions, orthopedic surgeries, and benign skin growths are today’s most common pet surgeries.
What are the three major categories of veterinary surgery?
Orthopedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/respiratory tracts), and neurosurgery are the three broad categories of veterinary surgery.
