Surgical treatment of uterine torsion using a ventral midline laparotomy in 19 mares.
Abstract: To report on the outcome of surgical treatment of uterine torsion in preterm mares. Methods: Retrospective case series of pregnant mares with uterine torsion presented to the Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals. Methods: Hospital records of all pregnant mares that underwent ventral midline laparotomy for uterine torsion between 1998 and 2004 were reviewed. The signalment, history, clinical signs, results of diagnostic procedures, direction and degree of the uterine twist, treatment and outcome were retrieved from each case record. Results: This study comprised 19 mares between months 5 and 11 of pregnancy (8.7 +/- 1.9) and suffering from uterine torsion. In all cases ventromedian laparotomy was carried out under general anaesthesia. Gastrointestinal disorders were also present in 52.6% of horses. Postoperative complications included subcutaneous seromas (five mares), peritonitis (one mare) and abortion (two mares). In four mares (21%) the operation was unsuccessful (i.e. these mares had to be euthanased intra- or postoperatively). Of the surviving 15 mares, 13 (86.6%) gave birth to viable foals at full term. The foals developed normally. Only two mares aborted. Conclusions: Because of its versatility the ventral midline approach should be considered for correction of uterine torsion. The approach has many advantages, including rapid and clear access to the abdominal cavity, safety, visual assessment of uterine wall viability, correction of concomitant gastrointestinal tract problems, and performance of hysterotomy or hysterectomy, if indicated. In this study, managing uterine torsion in this way resulted in a high percentage of cases (86.6%) in which pregnancy was maintained, with the birth of a viable, mature foal.
Publication Date: 2008-07-12 PubMed ID: 18616479DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2008.00315.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article focuses on evaluating the success rate of a surgical procedure called ventral midline laparotomy in treating uterine torsion in pregnant mares. The findings indicate that the approach results in a high percentage of maintained pregnancies, with mature, healthy foals born in 86.6% of cases.
Study Design and Methodology
- The research paper conducts a retrospective analysis of hospital records for pregnant mares that had undergone ventral midline laparotomy for uterine torsion between 1998 and 2004.
- Information about the mares’ health history, clinical signs, diagnostic results, direction and degree of uterine twist, as well as treatment and outcome was gathered from each case record.
- The sample size consisted of 19 mares that were between the 5th and 11th months of their pregnancy and were suffering from uterine torsion.
- All surgical treatments were performed under general anesthesia.
Key Findings
- Over half of the horses (52.6%) also had gastrointestinal disorders.
- Postoperative complications included occurrences of subcutaneous seromas in five mares, peritonitis in one mare, and abortion in two mares.
- Four mares (21%) didn’t survive the surgery, having to be euthanized either during or after the operation.
- Of the surviving 15 mares, 13 (86.6%) were able to give birth to healthy, viable foals at full term.
- Only two mares, out of the total 15 survivors, experienced abortion.
Conclusion and Recommendations
- The ventral midline approach was found to be versatile and beneficial for the correction of uterine torsion. Its advantages include rapid and clear access to the abdominal cavity, safety, visual evaluation of uterine wall viability, mitigating concurrent gastrointestinal tract issues, and implementing hysterotomy or hysterectomy if required.
- The research findings endorse the use of ventral midline laparotomy as an effective treatment for uterine torsion in pregnant mares, given its high success rate in maintaining pregnancies and enabling the birth of healthy foals. However, researchers have yet to confirm whether these findings would hold across larger sample sizes and varied environments.
Cite This Article
APA
Jung C, Hospes R, Bostedt H, Litzke LF.
(2008).
Surgical treatment of uterine torsion using a ventral midline laparotomy in 19 mares.
Aust Vet J, 86(7), 272-276.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2008.00315.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Abortion, Veterinary / epidemiology
- Animals
- Female
- Gestational Age
- Horse Diseases / mortality
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Laparotomy / methods
- Laparotomy / veterinary
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications / mortality
- Pregnancy Complications / surgery
- Pregnancy Complications / veterinary
- Pregnancy Outcome / veterinary
- Torsion Abnormality / mortality
- Torsion Abnormality / surgery
- Torsion Abnormality / veterinary
- Treatment Outcome
- Uterine Diseases / mortality
- Uterine Diseases / surgery
- Uterine Diseases / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Samsel J, Gündemir O, Szara T, Witkowski M. Midline vs. flank laparotomy- criteria for choosing the optimal surgical technique for uterine torsion correction in the mare. BMC Vet Res 2025 Sep 24;21(1):542.
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