Day 4 Student Gelding Dr Mark Anderson DVM ESE Leader

Dr Mark Anderson DVM ESE Leader
This educational video follows veterinary student Caitlyn through the castration of a colt, focusing on managing a difficult patient and adhering to strict surgical and anesthetic protocols
The core of this session revolves around intentional drug titration and precise surgical technique to manage a colt that proved resistant to initial sedation.

Anesthesia and Safety:
Patient Challenge: The horse was initially highly reactive, which led the team to increase the sedative dose (xylazine) before administering the induction drug (ketamine). This was a crucial step to ensure the horse was in a proper plane of anesthesia, indicated by calm respiration and a lack of hyper-reactivity in the hind end.
Field Protocol: Dr. Gray emphasizes the importance of securing the horse correctly with rope hobbles and maintaining a close, safe working position. He reminds the student that the emasculation rope needs to be placed on the inside (medial side) of the stifle to ensure safety and prevent injury.
Surgical Execution and Technique:
Time Management: The team used two emasculators simultaneously to perform the crush on both cords, significantly cutting the surgery time. Dr. Gray highlights that buying two emasculators is a practical way for a field vet to cut surgery time in half.
Emasculator Use: Caitlyn is instructed to apply the emasculators with a strong, intentional crush and hold them for the full required time to guarantee hemostasis (stop bleeding). A key lesson is to ensure the instrument is placed high on the cord to remove a substantial amount of tissue, reducing the likelihood of complications like a "skirished cord."
Post-Operative Focus:
The team stresses intentionality when removing the emasculators: the clamps must be released gently to avoid disrupting the crush and causing bleeding.
Aftercare Instruction: The video concludes with the vital advice to the horse's owner on post-operative care, which includes the immediate need for the horse to be moved and exercised starting the day after the procedure to encourage drainage and reduce swelling.

This video powerfully illustrates the importance of intentionality, safety, and strong decision-making when performing critical field procedures.