Laser resection is one of the dozens of treatments available for sarcoids, the most common equine skin tumors, which are notoriously difficult to treat. But until recently few studies have evaluated this technique’s long-term results or risk factors for tumor recurrence.

“Laser resection is often a more practical treatment choice, and we believe it has advantages over other treatment options,” said Claire Wylie, BVM&S, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, Margaret Giffen Resident in clinical research at Rossdales Equine Hospital, in Suffolk, United Kingdom.

Compared to standard surgical removal, Wylie said, laser resection offers reduced postoperative scar tissue formation, pain, and swelling. It also provides a positive postoperative prognosis, she and colleagues recently determined.

In their study of 99 horses undergoing laser sarcoid resection, 83% had no recurrence of the sarcoid removed, and 72% had no recurrence of sarcoids any place on the body

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