Vaginal transposition of the ovary in primates (Papio cynocephalus and Macaca arctoides)

Experimental data indicate that the time and mechanism of ovulation play a significant role in some cases of infertility and in a broad range of reproductive abnormalities. In order to establish a new experimental model for the study of these phenomena in primates, transposition of the ovary from the pelvis into the vaginal fornix was attempted in 2 species of monkeys: (a) Macaca Arctoides and (b) Papio Cynocephalus. Particularly in the latter species, ovarian relocation into the anterior and the posterior vaginal fornices proved feasible. Most ovaries continued functioning in their new location during the 2-5 months of the follow-up, despite macroscopic and microscopic evidence of infection. Post mortem examination of one of the experimental animals several years after the surgical procedure revealed the presence of an intact functioning ovary still in close contact with the vaginal fornix.