Vet World   Vol.18   August-2025  Article - 35 

Efficacy and sterilization resilience of silicone rubber bands as an alternative to suture ligation in feline orchiectomy

Background and Aim: Suture ligation is the standard technique for feline orchiectomy, but it requires surgical expertise and is time-consuming. Silicone rubber bands (SRBs), previously used in human procedures, offer a potential alternative. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the effects of common veterinary sterilization methods on the mechanical integrity of SRBs and (2) compare the surgical outcomes of SRB versus suture ligation in feline orchiectomy.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight SRBs were randomly assigned to four sterilization groups: No sterilization (control), 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, autoclaving, and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma. Bands were tested for ultimate ten­sile strength (UTS), elongation at break, and elastic modulus using a universal testing machine. Separately, 20 healthy male cats were randomly assigned to undergo orchiectomy using either SRB ligation (n = 10) or traditional suture ligation (n = 10). Surgical time, intraoperative/post-operative complications, Glasgow composite measure pain scale scores, wound healing, and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were monitored for 10 days.

Results: Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilization preserved SRB elasticity without significantly affecting UTS, while auto­claving and chlorhexidine treatment increased stiffness and reduced elongation at break (p < 0.05). SRB ligation significantly reduced surgical time (3.06 ± 0.32 min) compared to suture ligation (4.48 ± 0.62 min; p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in post-operative pain scores, wound healing characteristics, or complication rates between groups (p > 0.05). Mild GI symptoms were observed in both groups but were not statistically different.

Conclusion: SRB ligation is a viable, time-efficient, and clinically comparable alternative to traditional suture ligation in feline orchiectomy. Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma is recommended for SRB sterilization due to its minimal impact on material integrity. This technique may be especially beneficial in high-volume or resource-limited settings, offering a safe, efficient approach to feline population control. Future research should evaluate the long-term biocompatibility and broader surgical applications of SRBs in veterinary practice.

Keywords: cats, orchiectomy, silicone rubber band, sterilization, surgical efficiency, suture ligation.

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How to cite this article: Raekriang N, Sattasathuchana P, and Thengchaisri N (2025) Efficacy and sterilization resilience of silicone rubber bands as an alternative to suture ligation in feline orchiectomy, Veterinary World, 18(8):2553-2562.

Received: 20-05-2025   Accepted: 30-07-2025   Published online: 30-08-2025

Corresponding author: Naris Thengchaisri    E-mail: ajnaris@yahoo.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2553-2562

Copyright: Raekriang, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.