Return to use and performance following exploratory celiotomy for colic in horses: 195 cases (2003–2010)

Abstract

Targeted owner education regarding preoperative lameness, post operative rehabilitation and treatment for complications, such as incisional hernioplasty, may help inform owners about their horse's potential for return to use and performance following colic surgery.

Long-term follow-up on recovery, return to use and sporting activity: a retrospective study of 236 operated colic horses in Finland (2006–2012)

“…Patient records were reviewed for patient data including: age (0–14 years/≥15 years [7]); breed (Standardbred/Warmblood/Finnhorse/other horse breed/pony); gender (mare/stallion/gelding); insurance status (yes/no); location of the lesion (small intestine/large intestine); diagnosis category, surgical findings and treatment procedures (intestinal gas removal yes/no; enterotomy yes/no; resection yes/no); postoperative complications during hospitalization (SSI/incisional dehiscence defined as partial or complete rupture of one or more layers of stitches/incisional hernia/reflux/ileus/continuous pain or colic/peritonitis/laminitis); re-laparotomy (time/cause/surgical findings and treatment); death postoperatively during hospitalization and the date of the discharge were recorded. National competition records were searched for both pre- and postoperative entries in national and international show jumping, dressage, eventing and harness racing to evaluate postoperative performance (Heppa® database of the Finnish Trotting Association Hippos, Helsinki, Finland; Kipa® database of The Equestrian Federation of Finland, Valo, Finland).…”

“…Comprehensive studies on long-term survival and return to use and performance are challenging as substantial numbers of the horses and information is often lost to follow-up [7]. The most common long-term complications that affect the return to use and performance are incisional hernia and postoperative colic [2–4].…”

“…The most common long-term complications that affect the return to use and performance are incisional hernia and postoperative colic [2–4]. Horses that developed an incisional hernia, were 7–14 times less likely to return to athletic use [6, 7]. According to previous reports postoperative colic is more common in horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions or right dorsal displacement of the colon and it occurs within 100 days after surgery [1, 9, 10].…”

“…In addition, the horse-owners’ levels of satisfaction were assessed. According to these two reports, owners expressed that 76–86% of the horses to have regained their previous or intended uses [6, 7]. …”

Transport of an equine colic patient to a referral clinic

“…Die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten von Pferden mit Kolik haben sich mit der Entwicklung der Abdominalchirurgie, aber auch den Möglichkeiten der intensivmedizinischen konservativen Therapie in den letzten Jahrzehnten deutlich verbessert (Huskamp 1977, Fürst et al 2012, Davis et al 2013. Trotzdem bleibt die Kolik eine der häufigsten Todesursachen beim Pferd.…”