SURGERY
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Prescrotal incision technique
For those dogs undergoing the prescrotal incision
technique, a No. 15 scalpel blade on a No. 2 Bard-
Parker handle was used to incise the prescrotal skin.
The incision was made just cranial to the scrotum and
continued cranially 2 to 5 cm, depending on the dog’s
size, until the incision was of sufficient length to allow
the testicles to be exteriorised (Figure 2). The parietal
tunic was left intact.
Fig 3. The prescrotal incision was closed with 2-0 polyglactin
910 suture in an interrupted intradermal pattern.
Scrotal technique
Fig 2. The prescrotal incision was made just cranial to the
scrotum and continued cranially 2 to 5 cm, depending on the
dog’s size, until the incision was of sufficient length to allow the
testicles to be exteriorized.
For the scrotal technique, a No. 15 scalpel blade
on a No. 2 Bard-Parker handle was used to make a
The first testicle was delivered through the prescrotal
incision; fascia was stripped from the spermatic cord
to allow the testicle and spermatic cord to be fully
exteriorized for a closed castration technique. Two
curved Kelly haemostats were used to crush the
tissues of the spermatic cord proximal to the testicle.
The spermatic cord was transected distal to the
second haemostat with a No. 15 scalpel blade. The
most proximal haemostat was removed, and ligature
of 2-0 polyglactin 910 (Vicryl—Ethicon) suture was
secured with a Miller’s knot in the area previously
crushed by the haemostat.
The remaining haemostat was subsequently removed,
and the remainder of the spermatic cord was placed
back into the incision after checking for haemorrhage.
The procedure was repeated for the second testicle.
The incision was closed with 2-0 polyglactin 910
suture in an interrupted intradermal pattern (Figure 3)
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Issue 02 | MAY 2019 | 20
Fig 4. For the scrotal technique, the first testicle was delivered
through a scrotal incision near the median raphe.