this is an extremely complex problem. the lesions in the throat (stomatitis) can be caused by several conditions, gum disease & chronic infection is one of them. Vets, especially those that have been in practice for awhile & can't keep up w/the enormous amount of literature, tend to make this diagnosis most frequently, and prescribe surgery.
enter salesman, touting the benefits of laser surgery; now old wisdom combined w/ new gadgetry lends the appearance of keeping up-to-date.
my cat gary had developed stomatitis, & consequential dental problems some years back. he lost weight, drank alot, and wd retch while "reaching" @ his muzzle w/his paw as if choking. he had 2 standard surgeries, then 2 laser surgeries. he continued to deteriorate.
i eventually had to put him on steroids for inflammation, feed him through a tube inserted into the stomach via an incision in the back of his neck (stomastomy) & hydrate him w/ 100 CCs of lactated ringers daily, subQ.
he improved over a month, the tube was removed, & i treated isolated flare-ups w/prednisone.
it was def going to kill him over time.
to shorten, after much internet research in desperation i began using lysine therapy to combat a suspected feline herpes infection. when i discussed it w/my vet, she was certain that there was no connection, herpes>stomatitis, but agreed that i try the lysine because there cd be no harm done w/it.
L lysine is an amino acid. it is not found in processed food, because it breaks down w/heat. i had stumbled upon glowing reports of it's use in combating human herpes episodes; apparently an imbalance of arginine/lysine in diet favors the replication of the herpes virus, which requires arginine for reproduction (the "shedding" phase, marked by oral/genital sores, fever, etc.)
gary improved immediately & never had another episode.
lysine therapy is accepted as a valid treatment for feline herpes now
http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/cherpesgroup.html please see section marked "herpes virus breakout in cattery".
interferon is also used in treatment of both feline herpes & FIV (the feline analogue to AIDS)
my point is that surgery is an invasive treatment that traumatizes the animal & is frequently unnecessary. do some internet research, arm yourself w/ facts & alternative treatments, & discuss treatment w/ several vets if necessary before you agree to surgery.
i'll be posting a thread on mr. gary shortly.
sorry for the length; hope this helps. good luck w/ your wonderful cat!