From the OVC Singh Lab: Dr. Ameet Singh is an Assistant Professor of Small Animal Surgery in the Department of Clinical Studies at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph.
Bladder stones are a common occurrence in small animals and minimally invasive techniques for their removal are ideal since many of these patients are older and may be diagnosed with additional diseases.
Traditionally, surgery to remove bladder stones requires an incision into the bladder following an abdominal approach. This video is an example of a minimally invasive approach to bladder stone removal in a dog.
Two small incisions (~5mm) have been made into the abdomen to allow for insertion of a camera (laparoscope) and an instrument. The instrument will grasp the bladder and elevate it out of the abdomen and then the bladder is temporarily sutured to the skin. A small incision is made into the bladder and the laparoscope is inserted into the bladder through an instrument sheath. The sheath is then placed over the bladder stones and suction is used to pull the stones out of the bladder. The instrument sheath has a maximum diameter of 6mm, therefore, bladder stones greater than that size cannot be suctioned out of the bladder. In cases of larger stones, an instrument is placed alongside the laparoscope and used to grasp the stones and pull them out of the bladder and is illustrated in the video.
Finally, the urinary catheter is removed and the laparoscope used to ensure there are no stones remaining.
Overall, the laparoscope provides far superior magnification and illumination of the bladder compared to traditional surgery. These advantages in combination with the small incisions make the minimally invasive approach for bladder stone removal ideal for our patients.
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