Repair of an incompetent urethral sphincter in a mare

James Schumacher, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
P Brink

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe successful surgical treatment of urinary incontinence caused by a ruptured and/or transected urethral sphincter in a mare. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical report. Animal: A 7-year-old, Swedish Warmblood mare with urinary incontinence. METHODS: The urethral sphincter, which had been damaged during removal of a cystic urolith, was repaired by apposing the ends of the disrupted urethralis muscle and tunica muscularis. RESULTS: The mare was no longer incontinent after repair of the defect by apposition of the ends of the urethralis muscle and tunica muscularis. CONCLUSIONS: Transection and/or rupture of the urethral sphincter of a mare may result in urinary incontinence. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Apposition of the ends of the ruptured or transected urethralis muscle and tunica muscularis can correct urinary incontinence caused by this defect.