this is a presentation showing caesarean section in cow, along with a video

1. Caesarean section
Dr. Rekha Pathak
Senior scientist
Division of surgery

2. • Caesarean section is also commonly termed as C-
Section in which uterus is exteriorized to take out the
young one from the pregnant dam.

3. Indications
• Uterine inertia
• Various types of obstructive dystocia (for eg:
Emphysematous fetus, Oversized fetus, small pelvic
anal of the dam, difficulty in parturition due to pelvic
fractures, position and posture dystocia etc.)
• Rupture of uterus (may be due to injection or
excessive manipulation of the fetus).

4. Cont…
• Animal in highly compromised condition like
pregnancy toxemia, weak prostrated dam unable to
show labor etc.
• In the mares twin pregnancy is also an indication for
C-Section.
• Uterine torsion.
• Incomplete Cervical dilatation.

5. Ideal conditions
• Clean and bright place for the operation.
• Air borne contamination should be strictly
avoided.
• To prevent the post-operative complications
and septicemia.

6. Site of operation
• Varies with the type of species.
• Dogs: Ventral midline incision behind the
umbilicus on the linea alba.
• In the cow: Vertical or oblique incision
Left lower flank is preferred- the hind limbs
are secured caudally.

7. Fig. 1: left lower flank incision in cattle
Incision is just in front of stifle and extends
cranioventrally in a slight oblique direction

8. •In mares, a left paramedian incision (caudal) or
ventral midline incision.
•Take the animals on appropriate recumbency.
•Checked for dehydration and administered the
intravenous fluids rehydration .
•Dexamethasone should be given along with antibiotics

9. Cont…..
•Dog: The gravid uterus has dilated horns in the
shape of –Y which contain the fetuses and lies on the
ventral abdominal floor extended up to the level of
stomach towards end of gestation

10. • Cow: The gravid uterus may lie directly up on the
right abdominal floor
• Anesthesia
• Local infiltration with lignocaine 2%-----Cattle
• Diazepam + Ketamine combination ------Dogs
(0.5mg/kg + 5mg/kg)
Premedication with atropine sulfate @ 0.04 mg/kg body
weight

11. Bitch
•The bifurcation of uterine body is first visualized
•Incision is made over it in order to enable the milking
of pups (squeezing the pups out from the horns) from
both the horns is easy
• The fetuses are removed along with fetal membrane
one by one
•The umbilical vessels are ligated and cut and the new
born are handed over o the helper or nurse for
resuscitation

12. Cattle:
• Structures invaded are
• skin,
• subcutaneous fascia
• combined aponeurosis of the two oblique
muscles which forms the external sheath of the
rectus abdominis
• transverse abdominis
• peritoneum.

13. • The uterine incision should follow the longitudinal
line of greater curvature of the uterus
• Uterus is packed off from the abdominal cavity

14. • Forelimbs or hind limbs are
grasped depending upon the
presentation and the fetus is
taken out from the uterus
• Calf should be cared by the
assistants
• Cleaned, dried, cleared off
the mucus from the nostrils
• The umbilical cord is
ligated far enough from the
navel and cut so that it
contracts
• Antiseptic application

15. Removal of after births
• If it is easily removed by
gentle traction it should be
removed or otherwise, it
should not be pulled with
force since chances of
caruncular bleeding is
strong which may be fatal
to the dam
• If such bleeding is
encountered in the dam,
then we can counteract it
by giving oxytocin which
largely shrinks the uterus
and stops the bleeding

16. Closure of uterus
• Antibiotics can be instilled into the uterus as common
procedure for all the species before closure
• The uterine incision is cleaned with gauze and closed
by a double row of Lamberts sutures using chromic
catgut size 2-0 or 3-0 in bitch and size 2 in cattle and
buffaloes

17. • Abdominal incisions are sutured in the usual
manner, closing the peritoneum, muscle and skin

18. Abdominal spillage
• Note: utmost care should be taken to avoid the spillage
of uterine contents into the peritoneal / abdominal
cavity
• It should be lavaged with sterile normal saline containing
non- irritant antibiotics to counteract the infection,
reduce the chances of postoperative adhesions and
infection.
• The uterine torsion in case of cattle and buffaloes should
be then corrected. 50-60 units of oxytocin hasten the
uterine involution. A 5% solution of dextrose and normal
saline solution should be invariably included in the
schedule as most deaths have hypoglycemia and
hypochloraemia.