Clinical bottom line: Available research suggests ovariectomy by laparoscopy leads to a more positive recovery following surgery, due to reduced pain and smaller reductions in activity levels postoperatively when compared to open ovariectomy. In practices where laparoscopic equipment and expertise are available, offering laparoscopic ovariectomy for routine spays of cats and dogs may be advantageous to patients.

Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) are a standardised, succinct summary of research evidence organised around a clinical question, and a form of evidence synthesis used in the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). Access to CATs enables clinicians to incorporate evidence from the scientific literature into clinical practice and they have been used to teach EBVM at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences since 2011. CATs from Bristol university will be regularly published in the Clinical Decision Making section of Veterinary Record. The first CAT was published in VR, January 30, 2016, vol 178, pp 118-119.