Surgical Description of Laparoscopic Ovum Pick-Up in Buffalo Calves

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In modern livestock, using calves as embryo donors is already a reality; thus, animal genetics can be transmitted before these animals have reached sexual maturity, considerably reducing the interval between generations. This fact becomes more relevant in buffalo species, as they present great inconsistency in the results of in vitro embryo production. This study is the first to describe a safe and effective surgical procedure for obtaining oocytes by laparoscopy in a farm environment using three surgical ports and transabdominal needle aspiration. ABSTRACT: The technique of laparoscopic oocyte aspiration has been increasingly used in animals; however, there are few records of its use in buffaloes. To describe this technique, six suckling Murrah buffaloes aged between 3 and 5 months were used. Three laparoscopic ovum pick-ups were performed in each animal, with intervals of 15 days between surgeries, completing a total of 18 procedures. The technique used three surgical ports with optics and a high-definition video camera. The introduction of the first portal and insufflation of the abdomen was performed through the open technique, with aspiration using a 20 G needle transabdominally and a vacuum pump calibrated at 50 mmHg. The mean complete surgical time from anesthesia to the removal of the animal from the litter was 49 ± 9.8 min. There were 27.8% cases of insufflation on the wrong side of the omentum. The oocyte recovery rate of 60.3% remained within the normal range. However, the rate of viable oocytes recovered was low, with only 40.8% of those recovered undergoing in vitro embryo production (IVEP). These data demonstrate that this simple, minimally invasive technique is an excellent reproductive tool for the genetic improvement of buffalo species.