Use of a temporary indwelling ureteral stent catheter in a mare with a traumatic ureteral tear.

The article describes the treatment of a horse with a damaged ureter using a temporary indwelling ureteral stent catheter. The recovery was successful and complete, suggesting this procedure as a feasible alternative for similar cases.

Treatment of Uroperitoneum in a Thoroughbred Mare

As this article reports, a 4-year-old primiparous Thoroughbred mare suffered from uroperitoneum, a condition where urine leaks into the abdominal cavity, brought about by dystocia, a difficult or obstructed labour. This condition presents a serious threat to the horse’s health. To treat it effectively,

• First, hematologic and serum biochemical analyses were performed on the mare. These helped to confirm the diagnosis of uroperitoneum, as the values corresponded to those typically found in foals with the same condition.
• Next, the mare underwent an exploratory celiotomy, a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity, to determine the source of the uroperitoneum. This procedure revealed a tear in the right ureter near the bladder.

Difficulty in Direct Repair and Alternative Treatment

The mare’s case was complex because a substantial accumulation of urine around the ureter made identifying and repairing the defect directly difficult. To navigate this problem,

• The attending physicians inserted a temporary indwelling ureteral stent catheter. This is a tube inserted into the ureter to help drain urine from the kidney to the bladder. As a result, this tool was crucial in preventing further urine leakage into the abdominal cavity.
• After three weeks, the stent catheter was removed. Following the procedure, the mare achieved a complete recovery, with her urinary tract’s continuity and the affected kidney’s function fully restored.

Significance of Research Findings

The article’s findings suggest that using a temporary indwelling ureteral stent catheter, in this case, proved to be an efficient and practical alternative for treating traumatic ureteral injuries in horses. This is strikingly significant because other common procedures, such as unilateral nephrectomy or ureteronephrectomy (the surgical removal of a kidney or ureter), may result in significant negative effects on the long-term health and performance of the horse. Therefore, this new method could potentially provide a less risky and more straightforward solution to handling these types of injuries in horses.