Serious surgical complications of canine cryptorchid castration are associated with surgical approach: a case-control study of 202 dogs.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare a cohort of dogs with serious or life-threatening complications following cryptorchid castration to dogs without complications to identify potential contributing factors to the development of these complications.

Methods: Dogs that had a cryptorchid castration between 2018 and 2022 in 2 hospital networks were retrospectively reviewed in a case-control manner for reported complications. Inclusion criteria for cases and controls consisted of dogs with documented surgical procedures to address a retained testicle within the abdomen and an in-person follow-up visit at least 2 weeks postoperatively. Exclusion criteria consisted of felines, procedures limited to inguinal cryptorchid castrations, if the retained testicle had undergone malignant transformation, and medical records lacking essential patient or procedure information.

Results: 202 dogs were included in the study, with 38 dogs with reported complications and 164 controls. The most reported serious complication was trauma to the prostate, followed by gastrointestinal signs and urinary tract trauma. A complication was more likely if a paramedian skin incision was performed (OR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.45 to 11.1) compared to a parapreputial incision, as well as if a paramedian abdominal incision was performed compared to a ventral midline incision (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5 to 7.4).

Conclusions: The most common complication found in this case-control study was prostatic trauma and was likely associated with inadequate exposure based on the incision location.

Clinical relevance: Parapreputial skin incision and ventral midline abdominal incision increase exposure and visualization of organs, decreasing the risk of serious complications associated with cryptorchid castration.