Perineal versus prescrotal urethrostomy for treatment of obstructive urethrolithiasis in calves

A clinical study was conducted on 40 cattle and buffalo calves suffered from urine retention with intact bladder as a result of urethroliths in the ventral curvature of sigmoid flexure. Animals were randomly categorized into two groups for performing perineal or prescrotal urethrostomy. Duration of surgery, severity of bleeding, post-surgical complications, and body gain were recorded for comparing between the techniques. The most common complications were urine scalding in 100% of perineal group, dehiscence of the surgical wound in 25% of perineal group, and stricture of the created fistula in both groups with higher incidence in perineal group. Although the operated calves by either technique cannot be used for breeding, it is concluded that prescrotal urethrostomy can be considered superior to perineal one as it required shorter duration of surgery, and associated with lesser bleeding, fewer complications, and higher body weight gain.