Belgian Malinois

A 2-year-old Belgian Malinois named Unkas was brought to Veterinarium. The owner reported that both testicles were absent from the scrotum. Ultrasonography confirmed the diagnosis of cryptorchidism, with both testicles located in the abdominal cavity, positioned on the right and left sides of the urinary bladder.

This condition is potentially dangerous, as abdominally retained testes significantly increase the risk of neoplastic changes as well as testicular torsion, which can even be life-threatening.

It was decided to perform a laparoscopic orchiectomy, which involves the removal of the testicles. In such cases, the traditional laparotomic approach is usually quite large and invasive, whereas the laparoscopic technique allows removal of the abdominal testes through just two small incisions (10 mm and 5 mm ports).

Thanks to this minimally invasive approach, postoperative recovery is significantly faster, the patient experiences less pain, the incisions are smaller, and the risk of infection and complications is considerably reduced.

The laparoscopic surgical procedure was performed by Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze, Chief Veterinarian and Head of the Surgical Department at Veterinarium, who holds a Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine, is a PhD candidate at the Agricultural University of Georgia, and lecturer of surgical disciplines. The surgeon was assisted by Luka Ghlonti, a Master’s student at the School of Veterinary Medicine of the Agricultural University of Georgia.

Anesthesia was successfully managed by Natia Robakidze, who has undergone specialized anesthesiology training in Poland, Estonia, and Italy.

At Veterinarium, laparoscopic procedures are performed using the latest high-technology equipment, the Mindray UX5 4K/NIR system, equipped with 4K fluorescent imaging capability.

For anesthesia, the Veta 5 Premium device is used, which enables precise patient monitoring, inhalation anesthesia, and proper ventilation of the lungs through a controlled mechanical ventilation system.