Intracorporeal suture closure of the internal inguinal and vaginal rings in foals and horses.

Summary

# Intracorporeal Suture Closure of Inguinal Hernias in Foals and Horses Inguinal herniation represents a significant clinical challenge in equine practice, particularly in young foals where emergency colic and strangulation are constant risks. Caron and Brakenhoff present a laparoscopic technique using intracorporeal sutures to close the internal inguinal and vaginal rings, offering an alternative to traditional open herniorrhaphy and endoscopic stapling methods. Their case series of six foals and two adult geldings demonstrated zero recurrence following repair, with minimal postoperative morbidity and cosmetic outcomes equivalent to conventional approaches. The technique involves establishing a peri-umbilical telescope portal with additional instrument portals as required, reducing herniated viscera and securing closure with simple interrupted synthetic absorbable sutures—a notably cost-effective alternative to endoscopic stapling systems. For equine practitioners, this minimally invasive approach combines the safety profile and cosmetic advantages of laparoscopy with reduced material costs, making it a practical option for both acute herniation management and prophylactic bilateral closure in at-risk foals.

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Key Findings

• •Intracorporeal laparoscopic suture closure of internal inguinal and vaginal rings achieved zero hernia recurrence in 8 horses (6 foals, 2 geldings)
• •Minimal postoperative morbidity was observed with laparoscopic approach
• •Laparoscopic suture closure is more cost-effective than endoscopic stapling while providing equivalent or superior cosmetic outcomes to open surgical techniques

Conditions Studied