Laparoscopic removal of a large abdominal foreign body granuloma using single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and extraction bag in a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

This case presents a thorn-induced abdominal foreign body granuloma that was removed with single incision laparoscopic surgery and an extraction bag. An 11-year-old female cheetah presented for routine laparoscopic ovariectomy. Abdominal palpation detected a mid-abdominal mass. Differential diagnoses were neoplasia and foreign body. Laparoscopic exploration of the peritoneal cavity revealed an omentalised mass, which was successfully removed with the aid of bipolar electrocoagulation. Microscopic investigation intraoperatively and postoperatively confirmed extensive foreign body-induced granulomatous inflammation. The foreign body was well encapsulated by fibrous tissue with no adjacent stricture formation. The patient made a complete recovery, and this is the first case report of a thorn-induced abdominal foreign body removed with minimally invasive surgery in a wild African carnivore.