Surgical correction of genital prolapse in three rhesus monkeys

Three adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in a breeding colony of approximately 75 adult females developed a clinical condition characterized by protrusion of the cervix through the vulva during pregnancy and/or following parturition. The Gilliam round-ligament uterine ventro-suspension procedure (hereafter called the Gilliam uterine suspension or uterine suspension procedure) was used to return the cervix to a normal anatomical position. Following the procedure, one female delivered a normal live infant, but reprolapsed. After a second suspension procedure, she again became pregnant and delivered a normal live infant without a reoccurrence of the prolapse. A second animal never became pregnant despite repeated breedings to different males for two years. The third animal became pregnant twice following the procedure. The first pregnancy terminated in abortion at two months of gestation, while the second pregnancy ended in an apparent dystocia, necessitating a cesarean section and delivery of a dead fetus. The animal died post-operatively. This surgical procedure successfully salvaged one of these animals which otherwise had no reproductive future.