Local anesthesia and hydro-distension to facilitate cystic calculus removal in horses.

This research outlines a technique involving local anesthesia and bladder distension to ease the surgical removal of bladder stones in male horses.

Methodology

• The researchers conducted a case series study on eight geldings (castrated male horses) suffering from cystic calculi, or bladder stones.
• The preliminary step involved inserting a catheter into the horse’s bladder via the penis, followed by the infusion of 100 mL of 2% lidocaine (a local anesthetic) solution.
• To make the bladder distend, or inflate, it was filled with a warmed Hartmann’s solution to a pressure of around 40 cm H2O, facilitated via gravity feed.
• The fluid was retained in the bladder until surgical access was achieved and then drained out using the previously placed catheter.

Findings

• The bladder stones found in the horses ranged in diameter from 3 cm to 11 cm, with a median size of 6 cm.
• The bladder’s capacity among the test subjects varied from 1.4 L to 2.5 L, with a median capacity of 1.8 L.
• The time taken to move the bladder into a suitable position for surgery, measured from the insertion of a hand into the abdomen to the bladder exteriorization, was less than five minutes.

Conclusion

• The researchers concluded that the method they described – the use of local anesthesia coupled with bladder distension – successfully eased the bladder’s exteriorization, thus aiding the removal of cystic calculi.