Cesarean Section in Alpacas and Llamas at a Referral Center - Technique, Survival, and Postoperative Fertility: 24 Cases (2000-2012)

Cesarean section may be indicated during late gestation in alpacas and llamas to resolve dystocia or remove a non-viable fetus. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate indications for cesarean section in alpacas and llamas, surgical techniques employed, dam and cria survival rates, and postoperative fertility. Additional data included time to presentation, anesthetic protocol used, parity, and gestational age. Twenty-one alpacas and three llamas met the inclusion criteria for the study. Mean (+- SD) age of females was 5.1 +- 2.3 years (range 2-10). There was not a significant difference between maiden females (45.8%, n=11) and multiparous females (54.2%, n=13) (p>0.05). The mean gestational age at the time of presentation was 353.8 +- 11.8 days (range 329-376). The time to referral ranged from 0-72 hours. Cesarean section was performed due to dystocia (95.8%; n=23) or concurrent maternal disease (4.2%; n=1). Uterine torsion (60.9%; n=14) was identified as the predominant cause of dystocia. Other causes of dystocia identified were bilateral hip flexion (21.7%; n=5), posterior presentation (4.3%; n=1), failure of cervical dilation (8.7%, n=2), and the presence of twins (4.3%; n=1). [...]