 Laparoscopy is a type of "keyhole surgery" that is performed either with the standing horse under local anaesthesia, or with the horse placed under general anaesthesia. The procedure is undertaken in selected cases for the evaluation of certain abdominal conditions (e.g. chronic or recurrent colic, etc.) and for certain surgical procedures, including cryptorchidectomy (i.e. removal of an abdominal testicle in a rig) and ovariectomy (i.e. removal of one or both ovaries).The technique permits a much more rapid return to work than with conventional surgery. We have found it to be a successful and simple way of managing many ovarian tumours and have recently competed a study on 12 cases, which we have treated in this way with excellent results.
A similar technique (thoracoscopy) is sometimes used to directly examine the pleural cavity in horses with certain chest diseases.
|
