Surgical intervention in horses with refractory colic: A study of 10 cases

Abstract

Ten horses with mild to severe abdominal distension, unresponsive to medical management, underwent exploratory celiotomy under general anaesthesia. Surgical exploration revealed small colon fecaliths in four horses, enteroliths in two, pelvic flexure impaction in two, intussusception in one, and left dorsal displacement of the colon (LDDC) in one. Cecal decompression was performed as required. Small colon fecaliths and enteroliths were removed via small colon enterotomy, while pelvic flexure enterotomy was carried out in cases of pelvic flexure impaction and LDDC to relieve the obstruction and restore normal anatomical positioning. The intussusception was corrected by gentle manual reduction. The abdominal cavity was intermittently lavaged with Ringer’s lactate, followed by routine abdominal closure and placement of a passive drain. Postoperative management included fluid therapy, antibiotics, and analgesics. Overall surgical success was 80%, with eight horses recovering and two succumbing within one week post-surgery. The study concludes that small colon obstruction due to fecaliths or enteroliths is a common cause of colic and is associated with a favorable surgical prognosis when promptly managed.