Evaluation of surgical correction of urovagina using modified McKinnon and cerclage of the vestibulovaginal junction techniques in dairy cows

Urovagina is defined as the accumulation of urine in the anterior part of the vagina in cows. Urovagina in many cases may result in different types of uterine infections and these, in turn, cause in repeat breeding syndrome and infertility. The aim of the present study was to evaluate surgical correction of urovagina using modified McKinnon and cerclage of the vestibulovaginal junction techniques in dairy cows. Briefly, in the modified McKinnon technique, right and left sides of the vagina were joined medially and a large mucosa-lined tunnel was created. In the second method, vestibulovaginal junction under the vaginal wall cranial to the urethral opening was closed by creating the vestibulovaginal cerclage. The feasibility, possible side effects, success in management of post-operated cows and pregnancy rates were assessed. Twenty-three cows with urovagina were treated surgically using either a modified McKinnon (n=11) or cerclage of the vestibulovaginal junction technique (n=12). All cows were artificially inseminated after two administrations of a prostaglandin F2α analogue 14 days apart. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by palpation per rectum 40–50 days following insemination. The mean numbers of inseminations before the urovagina diagnosis and after the treatments were 4.75± 3.1 and 3.09± 1.37 versus 1.25± 0.4 and 1.7± 0.67 (p<0.05) in cows treated with the modified McKinnon and cerclage of the vestibulovaginal junction techniques, respectively. The results of the present study revealed that both surgical techniques can be used successfully for the management of cases of urovagina in dairy cows.