VSR 421: Regional Veterinary Surgery (2+1)

SURGICAL CORRECTION OF ABOMASAL DISPLACEMENT

• Abomasum is a wandering organ due to its loose attachments with the greater and lesser omentum. So it will be easily displaced to left or right.

Left flank omentopexy (Utrecht method)

• Laparotomy is performed in a standing animal through a long vertical incision (20 cm) in the left paralumbar fossa. Usually the abomasum lies under the incision.
• The attachment of the greater omentum along the abomasum is located and the needle threaded with about two meters of heavy nonabsorbable suture material is passed in and out of the omentum in the form of a mattress suture over a length of about 7-10 cms. About a metre of the suture material should extend and from each end of the suture line.
• The abomasum is decompressed using a needle of 14 G and syringe attached to a rubber tube. The abomasum is then carefully pushed to its normal position.
• The cranial end of the suture is attached to a large cutting needle which is carried along the internal body wall and forced through the ventral mid line, 10 to 15 cm caudal to the xiphoid and held by the assistant.
• A second needle in then threaded on the caudal end of the suture material and similarily placed through the ventral body wall 8 to 12 cm candal to the cranial suture.
• Both the suture ends are pulled up and tied outside the body. The suture is retained in position for about four weeks and after that the ends are cut as close to the skin as possible.

 Right abomasopexy

• The procedure is basically similar to omentopexy and the suture is placed in the musculature of the greater curvature of the abomasum.
• The suture ends are then brought through the ventral wall as for omentopexy.
• The left flank approach is used for LDA and right flank approach is used for RDA.