Intra-abdominal adhesions in horses: A retrospective evaluation of repeat laparotomy in 99 horses with acute gastrointestinal disease

Factors associated with survival of horses following relaparotomy

“…Further investigation of these data revealed that generalised SI distention was more frequently associated with colic signs and with a mechanical cause of intestinal obstruction other than adhesions (e.g. It is interesting that in the study by Gorvy et al [5] the presence of adhesions did not influence long-term survival in horses undergoing relaparotomy, which is in contrast to the current study. Generalised SI distention at relaparotomy may therefore represent cases in which there was normal intestinal function and the option to manually resolve a simple obstruction or to surgically revise an anastomosis.…”

“…The 8-week time period following initial laparotomy was chosen in the current study based on the work performed by Gorvy et al [5], which demonstrated that 77% of relaparotomy cases presented within 2 months of the first surgery. It is difficult to make direct comparisons with other studies due to differing inclusion criteria based on the timescale between initial and repeat laparotomy.…”

Indications, complications, and outcome of horses undergoing repeated celiotomy within 14 days after the first colic surgery: 95 cases (2005–2013)

“…A higher prevalence of colic after hospital discharge and adhesion formation has been reported for horses that had undergone intestinal resection, 4 which could correspond with the decreased long-term survival rate in horses with intestinal resections observed in the present study. On the other hand, another study 13 found no relationship between intestinal resection and intra-abdominal adhesion formation. The authors of that study 13 suggested that not the procedure as such, but exposure and handling of adjacent intestine predisposes to adhesion formation.…”

“…On the other hand, another study 13 found no relationship between intestinal resection and intra-abdominal adhesion formation. The authors of that study 13 suggested that not the procedure as such, but exposure and handling of adjacent intestine predisposes to adhesion formation. In the present study, anesthesia and surgery time, and therefore presumably the time span of intestinal handling and exposure, was not different between horses with and without intestinal resection and anastomosis.…”

“…Although repeated celiotomy has been described in several studies as part of the postoperative management of complications associated with initial colic surgery, few reports 12,13 have specifically investigated the indications, findings, and prognosis for horses undergoing repeated celiotomy. Only 1 other study 11 has focused on horses undergoing repeated celiotomy within 14 days after the first surgery.…”