Minimal Access and Minimally invasive Surgery in Veterinary Practice

Introduction: Laparoscopic surgery is a major component of the field of minimally invasive and minimally access surgery and is performed through an opening in the abdominal wall with a rigid endoscope allowing visual inspection of the peritoneal cavity and its organs. Laparoscopy has been used in veterinary medicine with any degree of frequency only for the last 25 to 30 years and is primarily centered on reproductive function studies in food animals and equine, nonhuman primate, and various zoo and exotic species. Although the indications for laparoscopy may be far more extensive in human medicine, it still has many potential applications for use in veterinary medicine. It is a procedure that can be performed with a high degree of safety. Indications: There are three indications of using the laparoscope in animals; the 1st is diagnostic, the 2nd is therapeutic and the 3rd is creating the excellent training model for minimally invasive surgery of human diseases. Contraindications: There are several absolute and relative contraindications for performing laparoscopy in human and animals. The absolute contraindications include acute or unstable cardiopulmonary conditions, presence of an uncorrectable or severe coagulopathy, cases in which extensive intraabdominal adhesions could have developed bowel obstruction, abdominal herniation and septic peritonitis. A relative contraindication must be balanced against the need for diagnosis and risks of alternative methods of diagnosis. Complications: The complication rate associated with laparoscopy depends on operator experience, accurate patient assessment and recognition by the clinician of appropriate indications and any possible contraindications, and quality of the laparoscopic equipment used. Conclusion: Owing to the minimal invasiveness and minimal access and short time of hospitalization and recovery of animals, laparoscopic techniques become more and more interesting not only for veterinary surgeons but also for owners of the animals.