Outcome of surgical treatment for umbilical swellings in bovine youngstock

Abstract

Umbilical swellings are commonly identified in calves and can be caused by hernia formation, infection of the remnants of umbilical vessels or a combination of both. Ninety-one cases with umbilical swellings were admitted to the Leahurst Farm Animal Practice (LFAP) between July 2004 and February 2012; 55 were simple hernias and 36 had associated infection. Eighty-seven cases underwent surgery of which 86 survived until discharge. Postoperative complications occurred in 65/86 animals (73 per cent). In 51 cases (81 per cent) this was classified as minor requiring no additional treatment. Placement of a prosthetic mesh was associated with a higher OR for developing severe postoperative complication when compared with those not receiving a mesh (OR=19.3; 95% CI 4.5 to 83.5). Long-term survival results were available for 49 animals, 22 of which were remaining in the herd with a median age of 1346 days (3.7 years). Of the 27 animals which had exited the herd, 16 were adult dairy cows, 7 were dairy heifers, 2 were beef animals and 2 exited at an unknown stage. Umbilical surgery in calves carries a good prognosis, although placement of a mesh increases the risk of complications occurring in the postoperative period.

Mesh repair of a large ventral hernia with interposition of omentum in a calf: a case report

“…The muscle of the abdominal wall is atrophic, contracted and deviated from the midline (Kawcak and Stashak 1995). This condition may lead the surgeon to prefer a mesh implant, although it is demanding in terms of surgical skills and time, more expensive and may lead to higher complication rated compared with suture repair (Williams et al 2014). In horses similar results have been obtained with sutures and mesh implantation in ventral hernia repair (Elce et al 2005;Whitfield-Cargile et al 2011), whereas in cattle mesh implantation has been associated with a higher complication rate in umbilical hernias (Kawcak and Stashak 1995).…”

“…Placement of any permanent foreign material during surgery carries with it a high risk of infection; therefore, asepsis should be an important consideration (Williams et al 2014). An infection could lead to formation of a non-healing tissue, purulent persistent discharge from the incision and eventually to a re-herniation (Witte et al 2008;WhitfieldCargile et al 2011).…”

“…An infection could lead to formation of a non-healing tissue, purulent persistent discharge from the incision and eventually to a re-herniation (Witte et al 2008;WhitfieldCargile et al 2011). This kind of surgery is carried out in humans with a higher level of asepsis that is not easily achieved in farm animal surgery under field conditions (Williams et al 2014). Mesh implants require a high level of surgical skill and should be avoided under field conditions (Baird 2008).…”

Laparoscopic Evaluation of Umbilical Disorders in Calves

“…These restricted operating times allowed the surgery to be performed under regional anesthesia and sedation. This is probably beneficial when treating calves with umbilical disorders that may have concurrent diseases and reduced ability to adapt to general anesthesia . For evaluation of the SLS anesthesia protocol, only calves with ASA<3 were included.…”

“…The current recommended treatment for umbilical disorders, with the exception of umbilical hernias <5 cm, is ventral midline laparotomy in dorsal recumbency after careful case selection . Despite complication rates as high as 73%, surgery is generally associated with a positive outcome, with up to 98% survival, and allows calves to be used for production . However, a precise diagnosis of umbilical disorders is of paramount importance because the treatment, prognosis, and costs depend on the specific disease process and structures involved .…”