Incidence Of Post-Surgical Complications Of Ovariohysterectomy And Orchiectomy In Field Conditions

Abstract

In many developing countries, one of the major public health challenges is to control overpopulation of dogs and cats while considering the welfare of these animals. The objective of the current study was to determine the incidence of post-surgical complications arising from ovariohysterectomy and orchiectomy surgery in Nicaragua under clean field conditions. The purpose of the study was to determine if described methods are a viable and safe option for performing sterilization surgeries on dogs and cats in situations where traditional surgery facilities and or/certain supplies are not available. A total of 181 ovariohysterectomies and orchiectomies were performed in May and June 2010. The animals ranged from 1.5 months to 13 years old. The first author performed a post-operative visit for a total of 132 animals four days following the procedure; 4.5% (6/132) of animals had redness of 3 or higher on a scale 0 to 5; 6.1% (8/132) of animals had swelling 3 or higher on a scale 0 to 5; 8.3% (11/132) of animals had skin dehiscence 1 or higher on a scale 0 to 5. No animal (0/132) had wound discharge and <1% (1/132) of animals died post-operatively due to ovariohysterectomy or orchiectomy. It is concluded that ovariohysterectomies and orchiectomies performed in field conditions have a similar rate of wound complications as elective surgeries performed in the United States in a clinical setting.