Male Reproductive Surgery

Abstract

Although male reproductive surgery can be very rewarding, it is overall a bad area to do surgery. To have a successful outcome there must be complete freedom of movement. The area is prone to post operative swelling and the area is contaminated, which increases the risk of post operative infection. Post operative infection leads to abscesses which lead to secondary adhesions as they heal. With these factors in mind a guarded prognosis is in order and these surgeries should only be considered on valuable animals.

Urogenital surgery requires a lot of time, not only from a surgical standpoint, but also extended time out of service post-operatively. Depending on the surgical procedure at least 30 days of sexual rest is recommended. In most cases this removes a bull from the program for an entire breeding season.

Tranquilizers should be avoided when performing urogenital surgery as many of them cause the penis and prepuce to prolapse. Prolapse increases edema to the injured part and may lead to secondary trauma. Therefore, if tranquilization is necessary it should be done lightly and with caution.