Laparoscopic hernioplasty in recumbent horses using transposition of a peritoneal flap.

The research paper discusses a new technique of laparoscopic hernioplasty using a peritoneal flap for closing the vaginal ring in horses, particularly those with a history of strangulated inguinal hernia (SIH), and its effectiveness in preventing future herniation.

Methodology

The study is a prospective one involving two groups:

• Group 1 comprises of 9 animals (5 ponies, 3 horses and 1 donkey) with no history of SIH.
• Group 2 consists of 4 clinical cases involving horses that had a history of SIH.

All animals underwent a laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PFH) under general anesthesia. A peritoneum ventro-lateral to the vaginal ring was elevated and cut on 3 sides. This flap was then separated from the underlying muscle before being inverted and attached to the parietal wall using internal stitches (6 cases) or laparoscopic staples (7 cases).

Animals in the first group had a standing laparoscopy done 7 days after the procedure to check the status of the vaginal rings. The horses in the second group were followed to confirm the absence of herniation.

Results

The follow-up laparoscopic check-up revealed successful and complete coverage of the vaginal ring in all cases except the first one. No adhesions were observed.

Notably, there was no case of re-herniation observed in any of the horses from the second group for a period ranging from 6 months to 4 years post-procedure.

Conclusions

Thus, the study concludes that laparoscopic hernioplasty, using a peritoneal flap to close the vaginal ring, is a feasible procedure in recumbent horses. Based on the observed outcome, the technique appears efficient in preventing a recurrence of SIH. However, given the limited number of cases studied, the authors recommend more investigations.

The authors also suggest that this technique might help in reducing inflammation and irritation of the spermatic cord, which could otherwise hamper the animal’s breeding career.

Thus, the study proposes laparoscopic PFH as a potential method for treating horses with a history of SIH.