Do different characteristics of two emasculators make a difference in equine castration?

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Surgery
• Equine Medicine
• Surgical Instrumentation

Background:

• The Serra and Reimer emasculators are commonly employed for equine orchiectomy.
• These instruments differ in jaw design and haemostatic mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the haemostatic efficacy of Reimer and Serra emasculators in open versus closed equine castration.
• To evaluate the tensile strength of the parietal tunic in closed castration using both emasculator types.

Main Methods:

• An ex vivo randomized study involving 80 equine cadaver testes.
• Measurement of testicular artery leaking pressure via dye injection.
• Assessment of parietal tunic tensile strength using a tensiometer in closed castration.

Main Results:

• The Reimer emasculator showed significantly higher resistance to testicular artery leakage in open castration (median: 706.1 mmHg) versus the Serra emasculator (median: 349.4 mmHg).
• No significant difference in haemostatic capacity was found between the Reimer and Serra emasculators in closed castration.
• Parietal tunic tensile strength did not differ significantly between the two emasculator types in closed castration.

Conclusions:

• The Reimer emasculator may be preferable for open equine castration due to its superior haemostatic performance.
• In this ex vivo model, both emasculators exhibited similar efficacy in closed castration.
• Further research is needed to account for post-operative factors like inflammation and edema.