Penile amputation and sheath ablation in the horse.
Authors: Doles J, Williams J W, Yarbrough T B
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Penile Amputation and Sheath Ablation in Horses: A Practical Surgical Alternative When penile or preputial disease in geldings demands surgical intervention, en bloc resection with penile retroversion has traditionally been the gold standard, though it significantly alters genital anatomy. Doles and colleagues reviewed 25 adult geldings undergoing a modified technique combining partial penile amputation with ventral abdominal fixation and peripreputial reconstruction, which preserves more normal external appearance whilst still permitting removal of diseased tissue and regional lymph node dissection. All horses experienced mild to moderate postoperative haemorrhage; 8 of 25 developed partial dehiscence at the new urethral mucocutaneous junction that resolved through second intention healing, whilst 7 horses required systemic analgesia for 24–48 hours postoperatively. Among the 8 horses with long-term follow-up data available, no chronic complications were recorded. This approach offers equine surgeons a tissue-sparing alternative for rostral penile or preputial lesions, requiring smaller incisions and delivering superior cosmetic results compared to retroversion, making it particularly valuable when preserving functional anatomy is a client priority, though practitioners should counsel owners on expected postoperative drainage and wound healing timelines.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Penile amputation with ventral abdominal pexy offers a less cosmetically disfiguring alternative to retroversion techniques while still allowing removal of extensive penile disease and lymph node resection
- •Expect mild-to-moderate postoperative bleeding in all cases and partial wound dehiscence in approximately one-third of patients, which typically resolve with conservative management
- •Plan for postoperative analgesia for 24-48 hours post-surgery, though most horses will not require epidural supplementation beyond standard pain management
Key Findings
- •En bloc resection with penile pexy to ventral abdomen and peripreputial skin closure is a viable surgical technique for penile amputation and sheath ablation in 25 geldings
- •Mild to moderate postoperative hemorrhage occurred in all 25 horses; partial mucocutaneous junction dehiscence in 8 horses (32%) healed by second intention
- •Postoperative pain lasted 24-48 hours in 7 horses (28%), with only 1 requiring epidural analgesia
- •Long-term follow-up in 8 horses (32%) showed no complications, and technique preserves more normal external genital appearance than retroversion alternatives