Small Animal Minimally Invasive Surgery – Practical Laparoscopy

This three-day laparoscopy course is designed for clinicians in general practice with basic skills or no previous experience in rigid endoscopy.  An overview of selection and care of the instruments required for everyday procedures in both dogs and cats will give delegates the knowledge to invest in the correct equipment for their practice caseload. We will then move on to the diagnostic and basic surgical procedures that can be performed with these minimally invasive techniques in both species, including ovariectomy, ovariohysterectomy and organ biopsy.

 Short lecture-based sessions covering indications, complications and basic theoretical outlines of procedures will be followed by practical dry lab sessions with laparoscopic trainers, and practical cadaver-based sessions allowing delegates to gain the practical skills needed to perform these minimally invasive surgeries back in practice. We have extended this course to 3 full days of CPD to cover these areas in depth and allow delegates to become confident in their new skills.

Topics to be covered include:

• Selection, handling and care of rigid endoscopes and equipment, including how to set up and operate the ‘endoscopy imaging chain’
• Cleaning and storage of endoscopic equipment
• What can be done minimally invasively in general practice?
• Indications, procedures and techniques in:
  • Approach to the abdomen
  • Laparoscopic organ biopsy
  • Laparoscopic ovariectomy/ovariohysterectomy
  • Laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy, gastropexy, cystoscopy
• Discussion of cases