A case-report on surgical correction of congenital pervious urachus in calf

Abstract

The most common congenital condition of urinary bladder is the pervious urachus in calf. Effective prompt treatment of this condition is crucial for preventing a number of complications. The purpose of this paper is to assess the efficacy of subcutaneous surgical method for managing pervious urachus in calf. A normal body condition four-day- old male calf weighing around 22 kg was presented at SAQ Teaching Veterinary Hospital, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh, with a history of swelling at the umbilicus, which resembles a horn-like structure with dribbling of urine from the umbilicus. Based on the history and physical findings, a tentative diagnosis of previous urachus with omphalitis was made. It was decided to investigate the umbilical area surgically, with the aim of correcting the urachal anomaly and excising the external swollen structure of umbilicus. The surgery was planned by a subcutaneous method, which is a safe and minimally invasive surgical method. A 2 to 3 inches vertical skin incision was made lateral to the umbilicus. After careful dissection of the cord, the cord was ligated proximally and severed. The incision was closed according to incision layer by layer. The calf recovered fully without any post-operative complications within 14 days of surgery. This study may guide surgeons in selecting subcutaneous method of pervious urachus correction.