Laser Surgery Services & Referrals
Our laser surgery equipment is fully mobile and we accept all cases for consideration including referrals from other vets.
What is laser surgery?
Laser surgery is the use of laser light to undertake surgery rather than using traditional methods and is most commonly used for the removal of sarcoids, melanomas and other skin conditions in a safe and reliable manner. The laser also cauterises all surgical areas at the same time producing a sealed closed wound. Once this mass is removed, if deemed necessary we can send off the mass to be tested for cancer or other conditions to obtain a diagnosis.
What to Expect
Our laser surgery is performed with the horse under standing sedation with local anaesthetic applied to the area of concern. The vet will start the procedure of removing the mass using the laser machine and often take a pre-determined margin of healthy tissue around the area of concern.
The wounds are left open after surgery. It is important to keep the areas clean and free of flies. To reduce the risk of flies getting into the wound area we suggest doing the surgery in cooler months.
Here at Mid-Suffolk Equine Vets we have our own laser machine which is portable. We can come to you to allow your horse to be more comfortable at home or we can do the laser surgery at Mid-Suffolk Equine Vets.
If you think your horse is showing signs of a skin condition please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01449 516000. Alternatively, if you would like to book a laser, complete the form below.
What is a Sarcoid?
A sarcoid is a local aggressive skin tumour that is usually persistent and progressive. There are six types of sarcoids; Verucose, Nodular, Fibroblastic, Occult, Mixed and Malignant.
Clinical signs of a sarcoid can vary widely. During the early stages it can be a small area of hair loss or a dry scaley area. A sarcoid can also look like a wart-like growth which would present itself as skin thickening or growth. The most common sites for sarcoids are the skin around the horse's head, neck, legs and abdominal region.
What is a melanoma?
Melanocytes are specialised skin cells that produce pigments for skin and hair colour. A melanoma is a slow growing tumor associated with melanocytes. Melanomas can form as a small, black dome shape bump on the horse's skin. The most common places for melanomas to form are often under the tail and genital regions, on lips and eyelids and under the horse's throat. The effect of a melanoma on your horse's quality of life depends a lot on size and location. If you think you see one it is good idea to get us out to check and to advise if surgery is needed. Melanomas are most commonly found on gray horses but can appear on all horses.
The photo above shows our laser machine base along with the fibre optic cable and stylet used do direct the laser energy.
To undertake laser surgery we will need mains power, somewhere clean, dry and undercover.
Everyone involved in the procedure will also need to wear protective glasses due to the power of the laser and we often bring another member of staff to help out with the procedure.
What else can our laser machine do?
Our laser can also be used to remove tumours and any other superficial masses from your horse. The technique is the same but prior to removal in these cases it is often best to send a fine needle aspirate to the lab to obtain a definitive diagnosis prior to removal and to allow us to examine the mass and surrounding region for an initial assessment.
The above tumour was noted on a gelding's penis and was promptly diagnosed and removed with our laser. Laboratory examination of the mass then confirmed this was a curative procedure.
The above image shows the tumor site post surgery. The tumor is completely gone, a margin of tissue has been taken around the tumor and the tissue preserved to be sent to the lab for further analysis.
The surgery site is cauterised and effectively sealed and is much more resistant to infection than traditional surgical incisions.