Umbilical hernia surgery in calves

Abstract

Umbilical hernias are one of the most commonly encountered congenital defects in cattle and surgical repair is often achievable in the field under regional anaesthesia and sedation. Infection of the external umbilicus or internal umbilical remnants is a frequently observed additional finding which increases the complexity of corrective surgery. Large defects can also be more technically difficult to repair, therefore a thorough clinical assessment of the affected animal and appropriate case selection is key to selecting a suitable surgical technique or opting for surgical referral. This article aims to provide a practical guide to case assessment and field umbilical hernia correction.

Clinical and surgical approach to umbilical disorders in calves - literature review

“…Conception methods may be correlated with the occurrence of omphalopathies: animals from in vitro fertilization had a higher frequency of urachus persistence (66.7%), and those conceived by artificial insemination had a higher frequency of umbilical hernia (58.4%) (Rodrigues et al 2010). The principal non-infectious conditions include umbilical hernias and persistent urachus (Beasley, 2017;Yasin et al, 2017). Omphalophlebitis, omphaloarteritis, and omphalourachitis are of infectious origin but may appear as associated conditions (Rassel & Rahman, 2020).…”

“…Based on the indicated therapy, the site and shape of the surgical incision in the umbilical region are determined based on the physical and complementary examination results, including ultrasonography (Steerforth & Van Winder, 2018;Guerri et al, 2020). An incision is made to facilitate easy access to the affected structures and hernia sac for correction of the disorders (Guerri et al, 2020;Beasley, 2017). During umbilical celiotomy, to ensure better access to the urachus and umbilical vessels, the incision can be performed in an ethylene line in the mid-line, supra-umbilical, and infra-umbilical regions.…”

“…Londrina, v. 43, n. 6, p. 2803-2822, nov./dez. 2022 ring or swollen area (Baird, 2016;Beasley, 2017). During laparoscopy, incisions can be made in the ventral region of the abdomen or the right paralumbar fossa (Robert et al, 2016;Monteiro et al, 2022).…”

“…umbilical celiotomy, to ensure better access to the urachus and umbilical vessels, the incision can be performed in an ethylene line in the mid-line, supra-umbilical, and infra-umbilical regions. Another alternative is to make an elliptical incision in the peri-umbilical region, just around the umbilical stump (Figure 6A), and over the hernia and tumor/umbilical abscess to ensure ease of access to the umbilical vessels and urachus, and the hernia ring or swollen area (Baird, 2016;Beasley, 2017). During laparoscopy, incisions can be made in the ventral region of the abdomen or the right paralumbar fossa (Robert et al, 2016;Monteiro et al, 2022).…”

“…During laparoscopy, incisions can be made in the ventral region of the abdomen or the right paralumbar fossa (Robert et al, 2016;Monteiro et al, 2022). Incisions can be made for both celiotomy and laparoscopy by maintaining the patient in a supine position and keeping the hind limbs extended and abducted to clearly expose the umbilical region (Baird, 2016;Beasley, 2017). The lateral recumbency position has been found to be feasible for laparoscopic surgical interventions in the umbilical structures of bovine fetuses (Monteiro et al, 2021).…”