For Outpatient Surgeries, We Have the Skills, Tools and Experience Our Patients Need

Your Pet’s Safety, Comfort and Speedy Recovery Are Our Priorities

We perform minor outpatient surgical procedures at Small Animal Primary Care, using traditional instruments as well as more advanced laser and electrocautery technology.

CO₂ Laser Surgery

We use a CO₂ laser, the most commonly-used laser in veterinary medicine, for a number of soft-tissue surgery procedures.

The CO₂  laser beam works by being absorbed into the water found in soft tissue cells, vaporizing it and effectively cutting the tissues. We have a great deal of control over the device, allowing us extreme precision when performing procedures on dogs, cats and even the smallest of exotic pets.

When appropriate, CO₂  laser surgery offers these benefits to your pet —

• Minimal bleeding. As the laser cuts, it seals small blood vessels, greatly reducing blood loss for the pet and improving the surgeon’s ability to see the surgical site clearly. 
• Minimal pain and swelling. In addition to sealing blood vessels, the CO₂ laser beam seals nerve endings and lymphatics, resulting in less pain and swelling and a more comfortable recovery for your pet. 
• Reduced risk of infection. The CO₂ laser beam kills bacteria, effectively sterilizing the incision.

All these important benefits of CO₂  laser surgery — reduced bleeding, less pain and swelling, and a lower risk of infection — results in a more comfortable recovery from the procedure.

Should your pet require surgery, your veterinarian will discuss with you whether CO₂  laser surgery is an option to consider.

Electrocautery Surgery

For some surgical procedures, electrocautery is the option we prefer and recommend.

The electrocautery device passes electric current through a metal wire, heating it and allowing us to use it to coagulate small blood vessels and destroy targeted tissue. Like laser surgery, compared to traditional surgeries using a scalpel, electrocautery procedures result in less bleeding, reduced pain and swelling and a more comfortable recovery.

Anesthesia

Before any surgical procedure, if your pet is to be anesthetized, we perform age-appropriate screening tests to assess general health and to rule out issues that might cause problems under anesthesia. To minimize the risk of adverse reactions, we use the safest anesthesia drugs and most stringent protocols and monitor your pet throughout the procedure and recovery. 

Referrals

If needed, we provide our patients direct access to the full range of advanced soft tissue and orthopedic surgical services offered by Purdue University’s Small Animal Hospital. If your pet is our patient, and we refer you to a specialist, we are on hand to confer directly with our hospital colleagues. Your pet’s medical records will be available to all the hospital’s caregivers, making referrals fast, efficient and fully documented.