Standing Laser Surgery in the Horse

For many years, the use of laser energy sources has been a highly advocatedtechnique in equine upper respiratory surgery, yet has remained beyond the use ofthe vast majority of general practitioners. Previous limitations have included cost,but also the requirement for special training and the large size of equipmentrestricting their value to most veterinarians. The development of gallium aluminiumarsenide (GaAlAs) diode lasers has resulted in small portable units which aresteadily becoming more affordable as these instruments are more widely adopted.Laser surgical techniques are more commonly replacing traditional surgical methods.Advantages include avoidance of the risks associated with general anaesthesia,reduced surgical morbidity and rapid post-operative recovery. In addition, lasersurgery presents a method of accurate surgical dissection with inherent haemostasisminimising the risk of intra-operative bleeding.