Ligation of the canine mesovarium with a resorbable self-locking device: a multicentre study

Abstract Background Haemorrhage from the ovarian pedicle is a known complication at removal of ovaries in dogs. A resorbable self-locking device designed for surgical ligation was previously developed, aimed to keep the advantage of a self-locking loop at ligation and avoid the chronic tissue reactions of non-resorbable materials. The primary aim of the study was to continue to evaluate the feasibility and clinical performance of the device for ligation of the canine mesovarium in a prospective multicentre controlled study. Secondary aims were to compare perioperative complications, ligation time, and duration of surgery between the device and a traditional double ligature technique. Results In total, 72 intact female dogs destined for elective ovariohysterectomy were included in the study. The device was tested in 36 dogs across four centres, and 36 dogs were used as controls. Across all centres, body weights of device and control groups were 14.5 ± 1.0 kg and 14.9 ± 1.3 kg, respectively. The device group was 2.5 ± 0.3 years old and controls were 3.6 ± 0.4 years old. Estimating mean times from the linear mixed models gave ligation times for device and control groups of 4.4 ± 1.3 minutes and 4.5 ± 0.4 minutes, respectively. Duration of surgery for device and control groups were 21.3 ± 4.0 minutes and 16.7 ± 0.7 minutes, respectively. Both surgery and ligation times showed a significant centre-specific treatment effect. Two cases of intraoperative bleeding from the ovarian pedicles were observed in the control group. No postoperative complications were observed and all dogs recovered uneventfully. Conclusions The device could be used for compression of tissue of the ovarian pedicle, provided haemostasis and adequate support of tissue throughout the healing period. Time for double ligation and duration of surgery did not differ between groups. Centres with previous experience of using the device recorded shorter ligation times and duration of surgery, which suggests a learning curve.