Cryptorchidectomy in equids: 604 cases (1977-2010).

The study explored the management of cryptorchidectomy in equids (horses, donkeys, etc.) at a referral hospital. It analyzed factors such as breed, surgical techniques, location of retained testes, and occurrence of postoperative complications in 604 horses over 33 years.

Study Methodology

• The researchers conducted a retrospective case series, examining the medical records of 604 equids that underwent surgical treatment for cryptorchidism (a condition where one or both of the testes fail to descend) from 1977 to 2010.
• Factors analyzed included the breed of the patient, the location of the retained testes, the accuracy of rectal palpation in determining the location of the retained testes, the surgical techniques used, and any postoperative complications.

Results

• The breed most often affected was the Quarter Horse, forming 47% of the total cases examined. This breed was significantly overrepresented in this sample.
• 15% of the equids had undergone previous unsuccessful attempts at castration.
• Rectal palpation was performed in about 65.4% patients to predict the location of the retained testes. The technique showed a high accuracy rate (89.6%). However, the research found that the prediction was significantly more likely to be incorrect in patients that had undergone a prior unsuccessful castration attempt.
• Among equids with abdominal cryptorchidism (59.6% of the total sample), a noninvasive cryptorchidectomy was the most common surgical technique, deployed in about 82.8%.
• Among unilateral cryptorchids, the left abdominal and the right inguinal were the most common sites of retention, with 35.3% and 28.4% respectively.
• For bilateral retention (13.2% of the total), abdominal cryptorchidism was most common, appearing in 60% of cases.
• 43% of equids experienced fever on the first day post surgery, but this occurrence showed no significant association with any variables evaluated.
• Excluding postoperative fever, major postoperative complications were developed in 3% of patients, with 10 cases being deemed surgically related and 3 patients died.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that cryptorchidectomy in equids, performed with a variety of surgical approaches, was associated with minimal postoperative complications.
• A history of previous attempts at castration decreased the ability to accurately predict the location of the retained testis, as seen through rectal palpation.