Possibly one of the most talked-about presentations at the 2005 AAEP Convention, held Dec. 3-7 in Seattle, Wash., discussed the proper usage of the power-drill-mounted Henderson castration instrument in horses. Mark Reilly, DVM, of the South Shore Equine Clinic in Plympton, Mass., discussed his clinic’s experience removing approximately 150 testicles with this device over the last two years with no complications.

“Castration is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in horses,” he began. “Additionally, castration complications are the most common cause of malpractice claims against equine practitioners. Complications include hemorrhage (excessive bleeding), edema (fluid swelling), pain, evisceration (protrusion of the intestines through the surgical site), septic funiculitis (infection of the spermatic cord), hydrocele (accumulation of fluid within the vaginal tunic), peritonitis (inflammation of the body cavity’s lining), and penile damage (from misapplication of emasculators).”

However, the Henderson instrument (which costs about $200) greatly minimizes these complications, Reilly reported. Also, it cuts eight to 30 minutes off the surgical time required to castrate an animal, depending on the procdure, which can be very helpful.

“The goal is to minimize complications with a simple, applicable technique,” he said