The castration of stallions, called gelding, is common in horses that are not expected to take on breeding duties. Typically, a male’s testes are completely removed, which helps moderate unwanted behavior and limits unintended reproduction.
Vasectomies, while common in human medicine, are not often performed in horses. This type of surgery involves the severing of the vas deferens to prevent the release of sperm. Though a male with a vasectomy cannot reproduce, he will still maintain his male behavior.
A new technique to castrate male horses has been introduced: the keyhole surgery. Though this surgery required general anesthesia and a surgical opening in the past, it can now be done laparoscopically in a sedated, standing horse. Surgeons at the University of Zaragoza report that this surgery takes about 20 minutes to complete for each side. Three incisions are made in the depression between the ribs, spine and pelvis. A laparoscopic device that cuts and seals the vas deferens is used at two different points to complete the vasectomy.
Drs. Arantza Vitoria, Antonio Romero, Sara Fuente, Laura Barrachina and Francisco José Vazquez studied four stallions who had had the surgery performed in this manner; they found no evidence that the vas deferens was able to repair itself and there was no sperm in the ejaculate two months after the vasectomy was completed.
The authors suggest that laparoscopic vasectomies can be performed rapidly and successfully without altering the horse’s behavior. More studies are needed to determine the long-term outcomes of the surgery.
Read the paper here.
Read more at Equine Science Update.
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