Pig surgery: cryptorchidectomy using an inguinal approach.
Authors: Scollo A, Martelli P, Borri E, Mazzoni C
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Cryptorchidectomy in Pigs Using an Inguinal Approach Retained testicles in pigs present a management challenge on commercial farms, and surgical removal via a minimally invasive inguinal approach—well-established in equine, canine and feline cryptorchidectomy—has not been systematically evaluated in this species. Scollo and colleagues performed on-farm surgery in 284 monolateral cryptorchid pigs, making an incision over the inguinal ring to locate and exteriorise the undescended testicle by identifying and gently tractioning the vaginal process and gubernaculum testis, thereby drawing the organ through the deep and superficial inguinal rings without breaching the abdominal cavity. The retained testicles were located intra-abdominally in 90.8% of cases and within the inguinal canal in 9.1%, with successful removal achieved in 282 pigs (99.3%); complications were minor and infrequent, including gubernacular rupture requiring digital retrieval in 8.1% of cases and two instances of unsuccessful location, whilst post-operative mortality reached only 1.4% and all procedures were completed within 6–12 minutes. This technique offers practical advantages for on-farm use in pigs, avoiding laparotomy and minimising surgical trauma whilst maintaining high success rates—findings that establish the inguinal approach as a viable first-line surgical method for porcine cryptorchidectomy analogous to its use in other species.
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Practical Takeaways
- •The inguinal approach for cryptorchidectomy in pigs is a highly effective minimally-invasive technique already proven successful in horses, dogs, and cats
- •This on-farm surgical method has low complication rates and rapid completion times, making it practical for field use in swine production
- •Surgeons should be prepared to manage gubernaculum rupture in approximately 8% of cases using simple finger and forceps retrieval through the inguinal ring
Key Findings
- •Inguinal approach successfully removed undescended testicles in 282 of 284 cryptorchid pigs (99.3%) on-farm without breaching abdominal cavity
- •Undescended testicles were located in abdomen in 90.8% of cases and inguinal region in 9.1% of cases
- •Surgical procedure completed in 6-12 minutes with only 1.4% mortality (4 pigs) and no major intraoperative or long-term complications
- •Gubernaculum testis rupture during traction occurred in 8.1% of cases (23 pigs) but was successfully managed with minimal intervention