Chitosan-based agent use for hemostasis after cryptorchidectomy in a horse.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Hemorrhage control remains a significant challenge in equine surgery, particularly during procedures involving deep vascular structures such as inguinal cryptorchidectomy. This case report describes a 5-year-old Quarter Horse that sustained laceration of the right external pudendal artery during unilateral cryptorchidectomy via an inguinal approach, resulting in persistent bleeding that proved refractory to conventional gauze packing across multiple anaesthetic episodes over two weeks. Application of chitosan-based hemostatic granules successfully arrested the hemorrhage where traditional methods had failed, with no adverse effects observed during the 18-month follow-up period. For practitioners performing inguinal cryptorchidectomy, awareness of the external pudendal artery's location within the medial commissure of the inguinal canal is essential to surgical technique; however, the successful outcome reported here suggests that chitosan-based agents merit consideration as an adjunctive tool for managing major arterial bleeding when conventional techniques prove inadequate. Whilst further investigation is warranted to establish protocols and efficacy across diverse equine haemorrhagic presentations, this case provides preliminary evidence that such products warrant evaluation as part of emergency haemostasis management in equine practice.

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Key Findings

• •Chitosan-based hemostatic agent successfully controlled major hemorrhage from external pudendal artery laceration when gauze packing alone failed
• •No immediate or long-term complications were observed with chitosan granules at 18 months postoperatively
• •External pudendal artery laceration occurred at the level of the internal inguinal ring during inguinal approach cryptorchidectomy

Conditions Studied