Ram vasectomy surgery and postoperative treatment and care
Ram vasectomy is the ligation or removal of a segment of the vas deferens (removing a segment is best), and ensuring the ram has good libido after surgery so it can be used for teasing. From 1997 to 2006, the author performed a total of 205 ligation surgeries, with a surgical success rate of 100%. The operating method and precautions are summarized below.
1 Preoperative preparation
1.1 Selection of the ram: a healthy ram between 2 and 4 years of age with distinct male characteristics must be selected as the surgical subject.
1.2 Preparation and disinfection of surgical instruments and establishment of the surgical approach, including 2-3 hemostatic forceps, surgical scissors, a scalpel and blades, suture needles, and suture thread; before surgery, soak them in 5% Lysol solution for 15 min, then wipe and disinfect with alcohol cotton balls.
1.3 Surgical drugs are prepared as follows. Debridement and disinfection drugs: sterile normal saline, 5% Lysol, 5% iodine tincture, 75% alcohol. Wound application drugs: anti-inflammatory powder. Antibiotics: penicillin, streptomycin, etc. Hemostatic and anesthetic drugs: etamsylate, procaine hydrochloride. Other supplies: medicinal cotton, sterile gauze.
2 Surgical method
2.1 Restraint of the ram and determination of the surgical site: withhold water and food for 6 h before surgery; the ram is restrained in lateral recumbency, and the upper hind limb is rotated forward and restrained to fully expose the surgical site; the surgical site is determined as the area 1 cm above and below the midpoint of the scrotal neck in front of the scrotum.
2.2 Hair clipping and disinfection at the surgical site: clip the hair at the surgical site, clean and disinfect with 5% Lysol solution, then apply 5% iodine tincture, and after 4-5 min deiodinate with 75% alcohol cotton balls.
2.3 Anesthesia: inject 10 ml of 0.5% procaine hydrochloride subcutaneously at multiple points around the surgical site, and surgery can be performed after 5 min.
2.4 Incising the skin: make a longitudinal incision along the vas deferens, keep the incision within 2 cm, bluntly separate the subcutaneous tissue with hemostatic forceps, incise the tunica vaginalis, achieve complete hemostasis, then hook one side of the scrotal neck to the incision with the right index finger, locate the vas deferens, gently score open its overlying mucosa with a scalpel, grasp the vas deferens with hemostatic forceps and pull it out of the incision, remove a segment of about 1-1.5 cm, then remove the vas deferens on the other side in the same way.
2.5 Incision suturing: before suturing, first check for bleeding; if there is bleeding, perform hemostasis promptly, then thoroughly rinse the wound surface with normal saline and close the vaginal sac. Evenly sprinkle a little anti-inflammatory powder into the incision, then suture the skin, one stitch is sufficient, and finally apply 5% iodine tincture to the incision and surrounding skin for thorough disinfection.
3 Management of critical conditions during surgery
The common critical condition in ligation surgery is cutting a blood vessel, causing bleeding; at this time, the ruptured blood vessel should be ligated promptly, hemostasis should be fully achieved, and accumulated blood clots in the scrotum should be cleared out, then rinsed clean with normal saline.
4 Postoperative treatment and care
Postoperative management is a very important part of surgical success, and the following points should be noted:
4.1 Pay attention to feeding management: give special attention to feeding management for sheep after surgery, provide nutrient-rich and easily digestible feed, and provide sufficient drinking water; at the same time, pay attention to warmth and pen hygiene.
4.2 Cleaning and disinfection of the wound: because rams after surgery feel pain and tend to lie down, the wound is easily contaminated, so it should be cleaned and disinfected promptly; if bleeding is found, stop the bleeding promptly and clear the accumulated blood in the scrotum, then thoroughly rinse with normal saline and apply iodine tincture for disinfection.
4.3 Treatment: in treatment, systemic antibiotics must be used, and hemostasis and analgesia should also be combined; however, the principle of using few but effective drugs should be adopted, with appropriate amounts of penicillin, streptomycin, and antipyrine administered by intramuscular injection, 2 times/d, for 3-4 d consecutively; at the same time, intramuscularly inject etamsylate 0.5 g, 2 times/d, for 2 d. For the few cases with wound infection and systemic reactions, treat according to the symptoms.
5 Summary
As long as the following aspects are noted in ram ligation surgery, surgical success can certainly be ensured: first, thorough disinfection of surgical instruments, supplies, and the surgical site; second, gentle movements, carefully preventing blood vessel rupture, and if a blood vessel ruptures, handle it promptly, achieve complete hemostasis, clear the accumulated blood, and rinse it clean; third, careful postoperative care and treatment.