[Implantation of synthetic mesh for the closing of abdominal wall ruptures in the ventral flank of cows: a retrospective study of 16 cases].

In this paper the technique and long-term results for abdominal wall ruptures in the ventral flank are described in 16 cows that underwent surgery between January 1990 and October 1999. Most injuries were caused by a horn of another cow. In three cases the rupture was repaired longer than 6 weeks after traumatic injury. The other defects were treated surgically 6.4 (0-25) days after they occurred. The muscle defects were closed layer by layer with simple continuous sutures (polyglactin 910, 6 metric) under general anesthesia in lateral recumbency and the sutured defect was reinforced with a synthetic mesh (polyester or polyglactin 910) fixed to the outside of the external oblique abdominal muscle. The most frequent postoperative complication was subcutaneous seroma. It was treated successfully by incision and drainage. All patients were released 11.6 +/- 5.5 (6-23) days after surgery. A telephone survey 53 +/- 26 (7-106) months after surgery revealed that the patients had an average survival time of 30 (2-104) months, had born one to seven calves without any complications and that only one cow had had an unsatisfactory milk yield. One cow had to be slaughtered 2 months after surgery because of a relapse. Synthetic mesh was used successfully to close the defect in 15 animals. The functional as well as the cosmetic result of the described operation was good to excellent.