Sometimes the 1st airway surgery isn’t the last.

Louie, a 5-year-old Frenchie, had elongated soft palate surgery elsewhere when he was just 1—but his breathing was never quite right.

During his airway evaluation, we found that excess soft palate tissue was still restricting the entrance to his windpipe. Using our CO₂ laser, we were able to precisely mark this difficult-to-reach area deep in the throat & carefully remove the obstruction, giving Louie a more open pathway for air.

This is where the right technology makes such a difference. The CO₂ laser allows us to work with incredible precision while sealing tiny blood vessels, lymphatics, & nerve endings as we go—meaning less bleeding, less swelling, less pain, & no sutures in the throat.

In an area this deep, delicate, & difficult to access, it would be very challenging to achieve the same level of precision & tissue control with conventional surgical instruments. CO₂ laser techniques have also been associated with very low complication rates in soft palate surgery.

This is why we continue sharing these stories. With the right CO₂ laser technology, proper training, & an experienced laser veterinarian, minimally invasive BOAS airway surgery can be performed safely in general practice.

For Louie, the goal is simple: open the airway & give him another chance to breathe & thrive.