Comparison of the use of a braided multifilament transfixation suture for field castration with other castration techniques

A scoping review on intraoperative and postoperative surgical castration complications in domesticated equids

BACKGROUND

Castration is the most common surgical procedure in domesticated equids; surgical techniques used and perioperative management vary considerably.

OBJECTIVES

To identify and chart the current evidence on perioperative complications associated with different methods of surgical castration in domesticated equids.

STUDY DESIGN

Joanna Briggs Institute systematic scoping review.

METHOD

CAB Abstracts, Medline and Embase databases were searched using terms related to equine castration complications. Two authors independently and blindly screened publications against eligibility criteria. Data on study methods, perioperative management, surgical techniques, and perioperative complications were extracted. Surgical techniques were grouped into categories depending on technique; open, closed or half-closed, and whether the parietal tunic was open or closed at the end of surgery.

RESULTS

The search identified 1871 publications; 71 studies met the final inclusion criteria. The data reported 76 734 castrations, most of which were open or closed, with the vaginal tunic remaining open at the end of surgery. Twenty-five studies reported information regarding surgical techniques and perioperative management, allowing detailed charting and comparisons, of which analgesia and antimicrobial usage varied notably. Eighteen different complications were reported, with swelling or oedema being the most common. Evisceration was most commonly reported in draught breeds and Standardbreds, and the risk appeared low if the parietal tunic was closed at the end of surgery.

MAIN LIMITATIONS

Grey literature and studies not available in English were not included. Existing studies varied greatly in perioperative management, surgical techniques and reporting of outcomes, making evidence consolidation problematic.

CONCLUSION

A lack of consensus regarding complication definitions creates uncertainty and discrepancies between complication rates associated with different surgical techniques and perioperative management. The implementation of standardised systems for describing surgical techniques and complications is recommended for future studies. A number of studies did not follow current recommendations for perioperative analgesia and use of antimicrobials.

GnRH Vaccine Could Suppress Serum Testosterone in Stallion Mules

Stallion mules have been used as working equids in several countries. Aggressiveness under the influence of testosterone results in the necessity for surgical castration before work training. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine may be an alternative method for immunocastration in mules. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the GnRH vaccine on anti-GnRH antibody concentration, serum testosterone concentration, clinical adverse effects, and behavioral changes in response to receiving selected physical manipulations from humans. Twenty-five mules were separated into three groups: Control-intact, Control-castrated, and Treatment. The Treatment group was further divided according to condition (intact or unilateral cryptorchid) and age. The Treatment group received 195 µg of the GnRH vaccine intramuscularly at weeks 0, 4, and 8. The anti-GnRH antibody concentrations increased at weeks 6 and 10, and then they gradually decreased to baseline at week 24. The Treatment-intact-young group had the highest concentration of anti-GnRH antibody. The serum testosterone concentrations in the Treatment group were lower than before vaccination from weeks 6 to 14. Subcutaneous edema adjacent to the injection site was detected in the Treatment-intact group after booster vaccination. In conclusion, the mules responded to the GnRH vaccine, which could temporarily suppress testosterone for up to 14 weeks.