A one-stage marsupialization procedure for management of infected umbilical vein remnants in calves and foals.

The research discusses a surgical procedure, marsupialization, performed on five calves and two foals suffering from an infection in the remnants of their umbilical vein. The study demonstrated the procedure was successful, with the infections resolving following surgery and long-term follow-ups showing no related complications.

Study Methodology

• The subjects of this study were five Holstein calves and two foals that had been diagnosed with omphalophlebitis, an infection in the umbilical vein remnant.
• Each animal had a surgical procedure known as marsupialization. This specific procedure was chosen because full resection, or removal, of the infected tract was not possible. Marsupialization involves creating and suturing an artificial pouch from the infected structure, with the intent to drain and manage the site of infection.
• The infected umbilical stalk was first resected, or cut off. Following this, the umbilical vein remnant was marsupialized in a one-stage procedure. This involved suturing it into the abdominal wall, located lateral to the abdominal incision.

Treatment and Results

• Post-surgery, antimicrobial drugs were administered to the animals to prevent or manage any bacterial infections.
• The marsupialized tract, or artificial pouch created in the procedure, was regularly irrigated, implying cleaned or flushed with a fluid, until the site had completely healed over.
• Complications arose in two of the calves in the form of cellulitis at the surgery site. Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection that can be potentially dangerous if left untreated. This was however resolved with additional antimicrobial therapy.
• The success of the procedure was assessed with owner feedback, recorded 9 to 60 months after surgery in this study. The owners of the calves and foals reported no complications associated with the marsupialization procedure in this time frame.

Conclusions

• This study demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of using a one-stage marsupialization procedure to treat calves and foals with omphalophlebitis when complete infested tract removal isn’t viable.
• The complications of this procedure appear to be minimal and manageable, and tend to resolve with further antimicrobial treatment.
• Longer-term follow-ups indicated that there were no ongoing complications in the animals from undergoing the procedure, suggesting that it is a competent treatment option with a lower risk of long-term negative effects.