[Laparoscopic treatment of hemoabdomen in a dog after prescrotal castration]

A 2-year-old Bearded Collie was referred for suspected hemoabdomen after prescrotal castration. On presentation the dog was in stable body condition and the hematocrit was within the reference range. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a moderate amount of free corpuscular fluid; therefore the dog was prepared for laparoscopic surgery. A single port access at the umbilicus was performed and insufflation with CO₂ started with a pressure of 8 mmHg. Approximately one liter of blood was removed from the abdominal cavity with a suction/irrigation tube to allow inspection of the inguinal rings. The laparoscopic approach allowed excellent visualization of the spermatic cord and testicular vessels, which were then sealed with a vessel-sealing device. After surgery, the dog recovered well and did not develop further complications. This case report shows that laparoscopy is feasible in the event of hemoabdomen after castration in dogs and can be considered as an alternative treatment method in the hands of a surgeon, well experienced in minimally invasive surgery. The experience of this case report raises the question, if hemoabdomen should be no longer considered as an absolute contraindication for laparoscopy and should be considered as a relative contraindication instead.