# Total Laparoscopic Colopexy for the Treatment of Recurrent Rectal Prolapses in Three Cats

## TL;DR

Three cats with recurring rectal prolapses were successfully treated using a minimally invasive laparoscopic colopexy technique.

## Contribution

The study introduces total laparoscopic colopexy as a safe and effective treatment for recurrent rectal prolapses in cats.

## Key findings

- Total laparoscopic colopexy was performed without complications in three cats.
- No recurrence of rectal prolapse was observed during a 6-month follow-up.
- The technique used barbed sutures to reduce surgical time and avoid intracorporeal knots.

## Abstract

Three cats with recurrent rectal prolapses were successfully treated using total laparoscopic colopexy (TLC). Minimally invasive procedures are increasingly popular in veterinary medicine because of their low postoperative morbidity and quicker recovery. The TLC technique, inspired by laparoscopic-assisted colopexy, involves strategically placed portals to minimize wound complications and ensure effective adhesion of the colon to the abdominal wall. In these cases, non-incisional colopexy using thermal injury was employed to enhance fibrous adhesion, reducing bleeding and avoiding luminal penetration risks. Barbed sutures, used in a continuous single row, facilitated the procedure by eliminating the need for intracorporeal knots, thus reducing surgical time to 30 min. No complications or recurrences were noted during follow-ups. In one case, a viable colopexy was confirmed during a subsequent laparoscopic procedure, demonstrating the technique’s success. Overall, TLC was found to be a feasible, safe, and effective method for treating recurrent rectal prolapses in cats, although further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to validate these findings.

The use of minimally invasive methods has grown in popularity due to decreased postoperative morbidity and a quicker recovery. Colopexy is a surgical method that includes the permanent adhesion of the colonic seromuscular layer to the abdominal wall to avoid rectal prolapses in cats and dogs with viable prolapsed tissues. In this case series, we describe the treatment of three cats with total laparoscopic colopexy (TLC) for recurrent rectal prolapses. A non-incisional colopexy was created by suturing the colon to the abdominal wall with a barbed suture. There were no intraoperative complications and a 6-month follow-up revealed no prolapse recurrence. Our study demonstrates that TLC approaches are feasible, safe, and free of problems when used to treat recurrent rectal prolapses in cats, although a larger caseload is required to validate the results obtained from our reported cases.