This presentation is a Physicist’s perspective on the most important and critical controls available to laser surgeons with respect to Depth of Incision and the Depth of Coagulation/Hemostasis: Wavelength. Power. Pulsing. Spot Size. These fundamental concepts of laser surgery will be abundantly illustrated with the videos. The difference between the ablative and non-ablative laser wavelengths will be explained as well as their relevance to soft tissue laser surgery.

CO₂ lasers provide tremendous benefits to most soft tissue surgical procedures. To obtain maximum benefit from this technology surgeons must understand some basic but very foundational core principles. This presentation identifies past deficiencies of CO₂ surgical lasers and lack of understanding of how to effectively use the technology. It describes the many innovations and improvements in our technology as well as the new concepts and techniques that allow the surgeon to maximize the benefits of the thermal effect of CO₂ lasers while avoiding thermal insult to tissue.

These core principles will allow the surgeon to critically think through any soft tissue surgical procedure and utilize this technology to obtain optimal surgical results. Key points of discussion will include: 1. Importance of minimizing light time on tissue, 2. Appropriate power and hand-speed, 3. Understanding super pulse, 4. Spot-sizes and their applications, 5. Focusing lens and tip-less hand-pieces.

Today veterinary medicine is much better equipped to address the surgical needs of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) patients. Understanding the pathogenesis of BOAS has increased, along with appreciation for the multiple morbidities that accompany genetic selection for brachycephaly. Advancement of CO₂ laser surgery techniques and earlier surgical intervention by an increasing number of primary care practitioners using the laser have dramatically improved the welfare of brachycephalic dogs. This paradigm shift has resulted in more accessible and improved management of BOAS patients. The next paradigm shift must be toward more active involvement of the veterinary profession in helping predisposed breeds evolve with more normal conformation.

As veterinarians, we have all taken an oath to “use our scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.” Although this oath may seem self-explanatory and our duties are somewhat obvious, I believe that we sometimes forget that we are looked at as experts who are in charge of educating pet parents around the globe. All of us who come to earn continuing education obviously share a goal of providing excellent care through laser surgery, but what good does it do if we don’t share what we do with the general public?

Social media is no longer a trend, it’s a necessity. And for those of you who don’t know, The social media revolution has already happened! Social media is a tool that fulfills a need, the need to communicate, interact and share. Interacting on social media platforms will not only showcase the many benefits of laser surgery but also help the pet parents understand why we have chosen laser surgery over a scalpel blade or electrocautery or other less favorable surgical methods. Social media laser surgery education will bring together fans, friends, and followers who are interested in excellent care for pets to our practices.

I believe it comes down to some simple questions, “if not me then who and if not now then when?” If we are not sharing pet stories and pet parent advice on social media, then we are all forgetting about the oath we took as veterinarians to help educate the public on the advancement of medical knowledge! The very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result and we can not and should not accept this!

Pet parents want services to be personal and it’s obvious that our profession has lost the war with pharmacy sales years ago! Practices who don’t show value of the laser surgery services we provide on social media will all eventually be left behind! Everyone is using social media and whether we are engaging pet parents with real and unique content in social media or not, they continue to use it and find alternative solutions to the pet care that they seek! The fact is that people are out there talking and not enough of us are there to interact with them. These pet parents are unfortunately ending up in the wrong places for their pets because we have not educated them properly! At the end of the day, it is our oath on the line and the responsibility falls on us!

The use of the CO₂ laser in veterinary medicine has evolved over the past 30-plus years.  This presentation will discuss the changes seen over that time, from the first CO₂ laser available to veterinarians to the current model of the CO₂ laser. The technology that was available to veterinarians in the late 1980s was primitive compared to what we have today.

Even in those early days, we were able to do amazing things with the CO₂ laser.  It rapidly became clear to many veterinarians that the CO₂ laser was an invaluable tool for surgery.  Surgeons from all fields, both human and veterinary, provided feedback to the engineers designing and building these devices.  As time progressed, this led to many design changes.  It has been a cooperative work between the experience of these users and engineers that led to our current CO₂ laser units.

Along with the innovative design changes, better education has also been provided by establishing this laser study club and our annual meetings.  The education gained at meetings like this also led to more acceptance of this technology in veterinary medicine.  The current version of the CO₂ laser gives the laser surgeons multiple combinations of power and time modes that enable more precise surgical procedures and gives them the ability to do far less damage to the patient and to offer the pet owners options for surgery that were previously unavailable. This presentation will discuss not only the advances in hardware designs but also the knowledge gained over the last 32 years.

CO₂ laser surgery is growing in popularity in veterinary dermatology. This surgical modality has been around for a long time, and as equipment becomes more accessible the popularity of this technique continues to grow.

Additionally, clients are beginning to ask directly for treatments that go beyond sterile surgical steel. Learning this technique is relatively straight-forward and lends nice surgical outcomes. However, this modality are not without potential harm to the patient and surgical team if proper techniques and standard safety protocols are not followed. Common uses in veterinary dermatology include treatment of follicular cysts, sebaceous adenomas, nodular sebaceous hyperplasia, pigmented viral plaques in dogs, small cutaneous hemangiomas or hemaniosarcomas, feline ceruminous cystomatosis, gingival hyperplasia, idiopathic nasodigital hyperkeratosis, cutaneous papillomas, plasma cell pododermatitis, inflammatory aural polyps or other otic tumors, fibrocollagenous skin tags, actinic keratosis or Bowen’s in situ carcinoma, acral lick granulomas, pedal cysts and furunculosis, and chronic lip fold dermatitis through lesion removal and/or ablation. Mass removal for submission for histopathology is achievable with a CO₂ laser by obtaining a slightly wider surgical margin than with traditional scalpel blade removal to account for laser-induced tissue shrinkage during vaporization.

Paws can be problematic for surgical removal of any mass effect or tumors due to limited excess tissue as well as the high vascularization in some areas. The precision of the CO₂ laser makes it ideal to remove these mass effects or tumors without remove of excess tissue. Additionally, foreign bodies and draining tracts can be easily removed or ablated as well. We will cover some of these procedures which are ideal for CO₂ laser. Another area with minimal excess tissue is the ears, whether this is the ear pinnae, entrance to the ear canal, or within the lumen of the external ear canal. For work within the lumen of the external ear canal, you will need the assistance of a video otoscope though. This is a great option to help maintain the external ear canal and the hearing capability of the animal.

CO₂ surgical lasers allow bloodless and less painful surgery. As a result, one gets a clear visualization, faster surgical time, and excellent healing. Correct surgical technique is necessary for desired results and safety. This presentation will comprehensively explain major points a surgeon must consider regarding the power, setup, and technique that will achieve optimal results using CO₂ laser technology.

At VetScalpel, we believe that experienced surgeons can become good and experienced CO₂ laser surgeons by understanding a few core principles of CO₂ laser surgery and putting those into practice. Furthermore, with the development of contemporary technique over the latter part of the last decade, most CO₂ laser surgeons are missing out on the even greater potential benefits of their laser. This talk will lay out exercises that will help you grasp and implement these core principles and elevate your surgical practice.

The program Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgical Laser Hands-On Participation Workshop focuses on the practical aspects of veterinary soft tissue CO₂ laser surgery, as well as on the fundamental processes involved in the laser-tissue interaction. The workshop is designed to help attendees learn how deep the laser beam cuts and how deep coagulation and hemostasis extend into the surgical margins. Participants will be able to understand the basics of laser physics and laser–tissue interaction, laser safety, adjusting laser parameters (such as power, fluence, pulsing, and hand speed) for selected procedures, and how surgical lasers are utilized for general practice procedures, dermatological and dental applications. The hands-on participation lab is designed to train attendees to perform incision, excision, dissection and ablation safely and efficiently. No previous knowledge of surgical lasers is required, and experienced practitioners will learn something new as well.

Coming soon.

Coming soon.