Pepsi is a 9-year-old cat referred to me by local veterinary practice in April to 2022. She had been suffering profuse purulent discharge from the right ear since January. On examination with a video otoscope , once the discharge was flushed away it was evident the canal was completely full of tumour tissue. The tumour was debulked using instruments to break it down, and my diode laser, which travels down an optical fibre that can pass through my video otoscope, was used to destroy the tumour remnants on the wall of ear canal. As you can see from the video once this larger tumour was removed it was evident there was a small raspberry-like tumour growing from the horizontal ear canal close to the eardrum. The left ear was also affected with a raspberry-like tumour growing from the horizontal ear canal near the eardrum.
Samples of the tumour were sent to a dermatohistopathologist and these proved to be low-grade ceruminous gland tumours.
As you can see from the video showing before and after, the healing occurring after this laser surgery is staggering, 4 weeks later there is no evidence of there were tumours present and the ear canals were 100% healed.
Prior to having a diode laser, which I bought in June 2020, cases such as this would have gone straight to surgery for total ear canal ablation (TECA-LB0).
Since purchasing by diode laser and treating tumours and other lesions such as profuse multiple cystamosis in cats or severe polypoid hyperplasia in dogs, I have saved around 10 dogs and cats from having to be admitted for TECA-LBO surgery, which is a more costly option and carries some risks.
We are one of the very few vets in the country who offer this service.
Some cases can be sorted with one treatment, but other cases sometimes need 2 or 3 sessions before all affected t tissue is removed.