Laparoscopic Spay Videos

Welcome to our video series, which shows each step in an actual laparoscopic spay surgery performed by Dr. Mark Kinghorn at Roncy Village Veterinary Clinic in Toronto, Ontario!

The first video provides an introduction to laparoscopic spays and shows what happens during your pet’s first visit for their pre-surgical exam. This appointment takes place a minimum of several days before the surgery. Your pet will be fully examined by one of our veterinarians to ensure that they are healthy and that there are no contraindications to either anaesthesia or surgery. We will also take a small blood sample so that we can assess their internal organ function and make sure that the anaesthetic drugs we use will be metabolized appropriately.

Here's a look at your pet’s first step on the day of surgery as our team places their IV line and prepares them for anaesthesia:

Your pet will be placed under anaesthesia for their surgery and the surgical area will be shaved and prepared aseptically for surgery:

This video introduces the surgical suite and equipment that we use to perform your pet’s laparoscopic spay surgery, shows how your pet is draped to keep their surgery site sterile, and then shows the first steps in the surgery itself. Their abdomen is gently inflated with carbon dioxide to allow the abdominal organs to be clearly seen and manipulated. A small 5mm incision is made into the abdomen to allow introduction of the camera that will be used to visualize the organs. A second 5mm incision is made for the instruments that will be used to remove the ovaries.

In this video, we show the laparoscopic spay procedure itself. The ovaries are identified, elevated, and suspended next to the abdominal wall. An instrument is then introduced that can first cauterize and then cut tissue. The tissue surrounding each ovary that attaches it to the body is cauterized and cut away, freeing it so that it can be removed through one of the ports created for instrument placement. Once both ovaries are removed, the abdomen is deflated. A single suture is placed to close the body wall, and the skin incisions are so small that they are closed with simple tissue glue. The patient is typically up and fully alert within just a couple of hours and ready to go home that same evening!