Comparison of peritoneal fluid values after laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy using a vessel-sealing device (Ligasure™) versus a ligating loop and removal of the descended testis.

This study investigates the impact of two different surgical techniques – using the LigaSure Atlas™ device and a ligating loop – on the peritoneal fluid values following a particular form of castration surgery in stallions. The findings suggest that both techniques lead to temporary increases in certain cell counts and protein concentrations in the peritoneal fluid, but with no statistically significant difference between the two.

Research Context and Objectives

• This research is positioned in the field of veterinary medicine, specifically focusing on surgical procedures in stallions. The technique being examined is called unilateral laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy. This involves the removal of an undescended testis from inside the abdomen.
• The objective of the research was to identify the effect of the surgical procedure on peritoneal fluid values and to compare the impact of two different methods of securing blood vessels during the operation.

Surgical Methods and Participants

• The study was carried out on a group of 10 stallions with a unilateral abdominal cryptorchid testis.
• The researchers compared two methods for achieving hemostasis (stopping of blood flow) in the blood vessels associated with the undescended testis. In the first method, LigaSure Atlas™ was used to seal and cut the vessels while in the second method, two ligating loops were placed around the vessels before they were cut using laparoscopic scissors.
• The excised testis was removed through an opening in the body wall after laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy. Then, the stallions were anaesthetized for removal of the descended testis through a closed technique that left the scrotal incision open.

Measurement and Results

• The research team conducted abdominocenteses (the process of drawing out fluid from the abdominal cavity) prior to the surgery, and then again 24 and 72 hours after the procedure.
• The results revealed that the total nucleated cell count (TNCC), total protein concentration (TP), and red blood cell count (RBCC) in the peritoneal fluid were elevated both 24 and 72 hours after surgery compared to their baseline levels.
• Though the LigaSure™ group’s median TNCC (59,780 cells/μL) was nearly double than the ligating loop group (32,880 cells/μL) at the 24-hour post-surgery mark, there was no significant difference statistically in either group’s TNCC, TP, or RBCC at any time point.

Study Conclusions

• The authors concluded that both the LigaSure Atlas™ and ligating loop techniques led to an appreciable increase in TNCC, TP, and RBCC from baseline levels 24 hours after laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy. However, these levels were substantially reduced by 72 hours post-surgery.
• The study didn’t show any significant statistical differences in any of the measured peritoneal fluid values between the two surgical techniques, suggesting that both methods are equally viable for this procedure.