WOUND COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING CESAREAN-SE CTION IN CATTLE

Based on a case analysis of patients with caesarean section (n = 252) performed at the Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Cattle of th e Veterinary School of Hannover, it was the aim of the following study to make a contribution to the aetiology of wound complications follow ing caesarean section. Wound complications were classified as mild, mo derate or severe according to the following criteria: mild: slight swe lling in the area of the wound (woundoedema or slight phlegmone), espe cially in the ventral corner; healing without therapy (n = 17 [6.7 %]) , moderate: seroma and moderate phlegmone; wound healing after conserv ative treatment with hyperaemising ointments (n =16 [6.3 %]), severe: secondary wound healing after lancing of the abscess, rinsing with acr idine colour solution and hydrogen peroxide solution plus drainage wit h iodoform gauze (n = 23 [9.1%]). The following factors had a signific ant effect on the healing process: duration of parturition (18 % and 3 7.7 % wound complications in animal with normal and prolonged labor, r espectively); macroscopic condition of the allantoic and/or amniotic f luid (19.7 % and 47.8 % wound complications in animals with normal and pathologic allantoic and/or amniotic fluid; respectively); degree of the exposure of the uterus outside the laparotomy wound (13.4 % and 51 .7 % wound complications in cases with complete exposure of the uterus [i.e. complete exposure of the pregnant horn with one limb of the fet us, e. g. in anterior position, from hockjoint to the claws] and incom plete or no exposure of the uterus, respectively). The condition of th e fetus (alive or dead) and the type of suture material used for the c losure of the muscle wound had no effect on the healing process of the laparotomy wound.