laparoscopic oophorectomy

[martaemha]

Hello,



I would like to ask you for advice regarding oophorectomy. Recently a vet recommended that I consider this option to provide relief for my 40+ Russian Tortoise. Each year she is diagnosed with ovarian follicular stasis. She has never laid eggs. She seems to be absorbing follicles after a while (the whole process is 1-2 months). When she is experiencing this stasis she is extremely active, and vigilant, eats a lot and is overall evaluated as in good health. She also becomes quite territorial, attempting to mount another female she shares her enclosure with.



My vet made a hypothesis that her follicles may be forming encasements (not visible on an x-ray though) and that they may be growing into her ovarian tubes causing adhesions.



Would it make sense to perform a laparoscopic oophorectomy on her or would it cause unnecessary trauma? Since this situation has always revolved on its own, shall I leave it as it is, or play it safe and subject her to surgery? I am worried as other than acting quite aggressively, she doesn’t seem to be unhappy or suffering and surgery would be associated with general anaesthesia and several weeks of recovery and pain management. What do you guys think? Has anyone here had their tortoise successfully neutered?





Thank you in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

I would just let it be. Don't do anything.

 

[martaemha]

Thank you Yvonne. I've read a similar post recently by Yourlocalpoet about Esmeralda needing surgery and thought this could be a similar scenario. My gut feeling also tells me to let nature resolve the problem but on the other hand, I just don't know, I don't want her condition to aggravate.

 

[wellington]

I too would let it be except get the other female into her own enclosure. Unless they have a very big enclosure and I mean a yard just for them, with lots of site barriers, seperate hides, seperate feeding and watering areas, tortoises should not be housed in pairs. Obviously your other female is being put in a lot of stress and aggression with this.

 

[martaemha]

Thank you for your help. I have separated the other female already. I scheduled an appointment with a vet who performs laparoscopic ovariectomy in tortoises to ask her for a second opinion, indications etc. I will keep you updated.

 

[martaemha]

Just a quick update after a consultation with a vet. I was told that laparoscopic ovariectomy in e female tortoises is performed in order to mitigate the risk of ovarian inflammation, which has a detrimental effect on the liver and often leads to peritonitis. However, I still don’t know the exact risk of my female developing such a condition. Has any of you heard about the frequency of occurrence of such complications?
For now, I need to take her for a blood test to check her calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol and uric acid levels as this should tell more about the stage of follicular stasis and its severity. I had the potential surgery procedures explained to me in detail, and it turns out that it is not performed under general anaesthesia. Rather, a combination of inhalation anaesthetics, analgesic agents and muscle relaxants is used. Still, I don’t feel convinced, especially hearing about consequences such as postoperative back leg paresis

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, I'm no expert, and have had NO medical training - only experience with rescuing turtles and tortoises for over 30 years. Also, I've read many, many posts here on the forum and I've been a member here for almost 15 years, so that's a LOT of posts! And your mention of laparoscopic ovariectomy was the first time I'd ever heard of it. So I would have to say it's not common at all.

 

[martaemha]

And this is the kind of argument that appeals to my reasoning, currently highly affected and flawed by contradictory emotions.


Thank you so much Yvonne.

 

[martaemha]

I would like to update you on the condition of my 30+ Russian tortoise. Last year in November, I was asking for opinions regarding the procedure of laparoscopic ovariectomy. My girl was struggling for several years from follicular stasis, and she never laid eggs. During those periods she would be agitated/aggressive, eating less, pacing anxiously around her enclosure and having occasional diarrhoea. This year though, around May, she became awfully lethargic and refused to eat. This was an unusual behaviour for her so I took her to a vet who confirmed follicular stasis, again after roughly 6 months. Since she was in awfully poor condition, not eating, hiding in her burrow indifferent to the sun and all the spring plants in her outside pen, with a heavy heart I made a decision to take her for the surgery. And let me tell you, had I known before how helpful it would turn out to be, I would have made my decision a long time ago. It was literally a life-saving intervention. Her ovaries together with follicles at different stages of development were removed on the 15th of June and she made an excellent recovery. Within a week she was eating, active, and back to her old self. The only thing that proves she had surgery are thick layers of skin that were stitched in her groins. She took the general anaesthesia well. She is finally enjoying the summer and eating properly, for the first time in many years.



I just wanted to share my joy with you and tell you that unfortunately, follicular stasis is becoming a common issue in captive tortoises. We were lucky to have the best reptile surgeon help her through laparoscopy, without having to cut through the plastron. The doctor shared that she is seeing this issue in a number of patients these days (other than chelonians, lizards, iguanas and chameleons suffer from this condition as well).

Please, if you see similar symptoms in your female tortoise and she is diagnosed with follicular stasis don’t wait as long as I did and consider surgery. I hate to say it but sometimes leaving it to nature just won't work, it will just make your reptile emaciated, apathetic and debilitated. It was by far the best thing I could do for my friend and I am incredibly grateful to the doctor for her help.

 

[wellington]

I'm glad it all worked out for the two of you.
Was anything said as to what is causing it in tortoises? Anything people should do different, feed different, etc?

 

[Yvonne G]

Thank you for coming back to the thread and updating. We all learn from posts like this.

 

[martaemha]

I'm glad it all worked out for the two of you.
Was anything said as to what is causing it in tortoises? Anything people should do different, feed different, etc?

Tortoises are animals of a scarce, deficient environment and we seem to be commonly forgetting that fact. Trying to provide the best diet we frequently overfeed them, and provide the most nutrition-dense greens. It is not the case in the wild as they feed on whatever they can find and often need to aestivate due to food scarcity on the arid sun-burned steppe. Feeding tortoises abundantly stimulates the fat cycle, which in turn stimulates the follicles. Captivity may be a factor in follicles not developing further. Another factor could be the absence of a male (their presence usually triggers ovulation, but still females may have post-ovulatory stasis or problems laying eggs in captivity so it is not necessarily a solution).

All things considered, the closer owners get to recreating the natural conditions of a region their tortoises come from, the better (including scarcity, discomfort and at times deprivation). Sadly though, this does not guarantee that such a scenario won’t develop as it is still captivity.