MODIFICATIONS ON THE VULVOPLASTY PROCEDUR E IN MARES

Surgical reconstruction of the perineum is a worldwide acknowledged pr ocedure in the treating of broadmares suffering from atrophy, peripart al overdistension or injuries to the perineal tissues, and is usually able to restore reduced fertility or reproductive insufficiency in tho se thus afflicted. The requiered episiotomy before foaling and perinea l lacerations incurred during subsequent parturition after Caslick vul voplasty led to consideration of alternative techniques such as perine al body transrection and episioplasty. A number of authors have descri bed various operative techniques which essentially involve mucosa rese ction. In fact this broad spectrum of methods led to the awareness of clearly different tensile characteristics in the vestibulo-vaginal sea ls. Nevertheless, the resulting scar tissue after surgery is often a h indrance to the passage of the fertilised ovum intra partum. The modif ication of the original Caslick method presented here distinguishes it self from the hitherto described techniques essentially by means of ef fecting the inclination of the upper vaginal wail as well as the simul taneous tightening of the vestibular sphincter is consequently reconst ructed and left undamaged. Perineal tissue and vestibular mucosa are n ot lacerated again, resulting in the elongated perineal body showing s ufficient stability and elasticity before and during parturition. A re currence of lacerations in the reconstructed perineum were subsequentl y not apparent in 75% of the cases studied. The step-by-step surgical procedure is presented here together with photographic illustration.