Intestinal entrapment by ductus deferens remnant causing small intestinal obstruction in a steer

This report describes the successful treatment of a small in­testinal incarceration around the right ductus deferens and ileal impaction in a 9-month-old Jersey steer which was cor­rected in two sequential surgeries; exploratory laparotomy followed by standing laparoscopy with local anesthesia. The patient presented for a 3-day history of mild intermittent colic unresponsive to medical management on the farm. At pre­sentation, the steer was systemically stable other than a mild tachycardia and tachypnea attributed to pain along with in­termittent mild to moderate colic signs including stretching of the abdomen, extension of the neck, and flank watching. Transabdominal ultrasonography revealed ileus and distend­ed small intestine. Based on these findings, an exploratory laparotomy was pursued. A small intestinal incarceration due to an unidentified thin band was noted in the right caudal ab­domen. The incarceration was manually reduced, while the small intestines proximal to the strangulation were impacted necessitating an enterotomy. Following recovery from the laparotomy, a standing right flank laparoscopy was performed to identify the structure responsible for the incarceration: the right ductus deferens was transected to prevent future com­plications. The patient recovered uneventfully and was dis­charged. Previous reports of small intestinal strangulating le­sions in steers caused by spermatic cord remnants have been described with variable prognoses while the present case led to a favorable outcome for survival. Laparoscopic identifica­tion and division have not been previously described as a sur­gical option for resolution of remnant cords and may offer a new route of non-invasive correction if the anomaly cannot be safely transected blindly.