[Fetotomy in cattle with special reference to postoperative complications--an evaluation of 131 cases]

In the course of this retrospective study on fetotomy of cattle 131 operations were evaluated. The case studies put the cattle 2 to 96 hours into labour (average 13 hours). The cows that exhibited post-operative complications were on average 19.2 hours into labour prior to the operation. Those which had a normal puerperium however were only 8.4 hours, on average, in labour. 79% of the animals showed depressed general health on admission, 8% of which were unable to stand. The main cause of the dystocia was the incorrect position/orientation of the dead foetus (38.9%) as well as relative or absolutely too large calves (25.2%). In 14.5% of the cases the offspring were malformed causing the dystocia. 28 of the protracted births were due to both maternal as well as foetal causes. Mortality of the cows lay by 6.9%, irregularities in the puerperal period ran at 67.2%. The age of the mother did not seem to influence the post operative events. The most common complication was retained placenta (n = 49; 37.4%) followed by lochiometra (n = 21; 16%), vaginal wounds and pelvic phlegmons (each n = 16; 12.2%) and neurotripsy (n = 6; 12.2%). Of these puerperal complications the pelvic phlegmon required the longest post-operative care (14.3 days, retention secundinarum was cured in 13 days, lochiometra in 8.8, cows without complaint were treated for 3.8 days after the operation). The most important factors for the post-operative prognosis are the time in labour and any trauma of the soft birth canal which influence the forming of pelvic phlegmons.