Post Crop Surgery Questions

[CPBlaire]

I've never performed crop surgery, so....
@Eggcessive may also be able to give some tips.
She and Kathy can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking you will need to cut your stitches, flush/clean all that back out. It sounds like the crop is leaking subcutaneously.

Can you get antibiotics?


https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

I can't get my hands on any antibiotics, unfortunately. I'm all out of sutures so I'll have to see what I can get my hands on so close to the holiday. If I can't find any, would it suffice to use fishing line if disinfected? Also, would I need to stitch both the crop and skin together?

 

[CPBlaire]

Maybe you can put a drainage tube in??
Vets do that with dogs and cats after operating on hernias.

Yes, I'm thinking that may be a valid solution to the fluids at least. I'm about to head down to TSC as they sell 20 gauge needles that I can use to immediately drain her.

 

[Eggcessive]

I've never performed crop surgery, so....
@Eggcessive may also be able to give some tips.
She and Kathy can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking you will need to cut your stitches, flush/clean all that back out. It sounds like the crop is leaking subcutaneously.

Can you get antibiotics?


https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

I haven’t ever performed crop surgery myself, but I do think there are 2 layers to suture. I tend to agree with removing the sutures, and trying to clean the wound, then resuture the 2 layers. If you can get a vet, this would be a good time. Probably hard to do on a holiday eve.

 

[casportpony]

 

[ChickNanny13]

 

[casportpony]

I think if I were going to do it I would open it back up and either glue the crop of use sewing thread. I would be tempted to leave the skin open to check for draining from the crop incision.

Don't think drainage tube will help because what's in the subcutaneous space is almost certainly the stuff that's been tubed and this is very likely going to cause an infection.

 

[Kiki]

I would call the vet.
I imagine it cost a pretty penny for the surgery.
I’d inform the vet and ask for a follow up visit or at least advice.
Hope all turns out well for your chicken.

No vet involved. She did it herself.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a thread with a video of crop surgery:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/impacted-crop-surgery-with-video.858803/

Here are more videos:

 

[casportpony]

Source: http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.co...-surgery-proceedings-0?id=&pageID=1&sk=&date=

Ingluviotomy and Crop Surgery

The ingluvies (crop) is a storage organ that is often full and protruding making it susceptible to trauma. It may also be the site where a foreign body has lodged. Hand fed baby birds may suffer from crop burns from overheated food. Fortunately, the crop has a good blood supply and heals well.

An ingluviotomy is used to retrieve foreign bodies or to pass a rigid endoscope into the stomach. The patient is anesthetized, intubated and the head elevated to prevent liquid from getting into the pharynx and being aspirated. Foreign bodies can often be retrieved using blunt, atraumatic forceps or by massaging the object, gently, from the crop. When ingluviotomy is necessary, the skin incision is made in the left lateral cervical region over the. Stay sutures are placed and the incision in the crop is made about 1/2 the length of the skin incision. The crop is closed with a continuous appositional or inverting pattern. The skin is closed separately over the ingluviotomy incision.

Crop biopsy is also indicated as a tool for diagnosing proventricular dilation syndrome. The biopsy must be taken in a location where there are blood vessels in order to obtain nerves which might demonstrate the typical histologic changes.

When the crop is burned or traumatized, there may be loss of significant portions of tissue. In some birds there will be a true fistula with food dropping out. In more acute burns, it may be difficult to distinguish viable from devitalized tissues. In these cases it is best to wait 3-5 days for a line of demarcation between necrotic and viable tissue to develop. The wound edges should be debrided until the skin can be separated from the crop wall. The skin and crop are sutured closed as separate structures. Placing a feeding tube through the crop will help identify the lumen. In cases where there is significant loss of crop tissue it is best to maintain the longitudinal integrity of the esophagus (crop) as there is a higher likelihood of stricture formation with resection and anastomosis.

 

[casportpony]

Where in California are you?