Improvements in colic surgery

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You are here: Home / Articles / Horse care

Chris Proudman FRCVS

21 February, 2006

Colic is one of the most common reasons for horse owners to call out the vet. Although often mild and easily resolved, it can also be extremely distressing and ultimately fatal.

Some cases require surgery and advances in colic surgery mean that many more horses now survive this invasive procedure than in the past. Thirty years ago, a horse had around a 50% chance of surviving colic surgery. Today, this probability is approximately 80% and even higher for many types of colic.

One of the highlights of last year's international colic research symposium in Quebec City, Canada was the presentation of results comparing different surgical techniques.

Avoiding infection

The infection of the wound caused by the operation is a common, usually non-fatal, complication of colic surgery that leads to prolonged discomfort for the horse and extra expense for the owner. The preliminary data from two studies was discussed.

One study indicated that the use of "belly bands" (bandages wrapped around the horse's abdomen to cover the incision site) decreased the prevalence of wound complications.

Early indications of a second, unrelated study suggested that the use of a suture layer underneath the skin might increase the chance of wound infection; a better technique is to avoid using such a suture.

Surgeons will watch for the final conclusions of both studies with interest as they may provide simple methods to help avoid an important post-operative complication.

Successful join-up

One of the most common procedures surgeons perform when operating on horses with colic is the removal of diseased intestine and the reconnection of the remaining gut. The success of the procedure depends on the join in the two "pipes" being free from leaks and being able to withstand the pressure of the fluid inside. Several researchers presented studies that compared methods of joining together intestine.

This constant questioning of current techniques and evaluation of new ones helps surgeons improve the success rate of colic surgery, and increase the probability of each patient making a rapid and complete recovery from a potentially fatal disease.

Returning to work

Many horse owners want to know if their horse will be capable of the same level of performance following colic surgery. This question was addressed by a group from France, which conducted a client satisfaction questionnaire following colic surgery.

Of those clients returning the questionnaire, 79% were sufficiently satisfied with the outcome of surgery on their horse to recommend it to others. Work was resumed by 90% of surviving horses, and 91% of owners considered this activity to be at the same standard as prior to surgery.

These results are a clear indication that most horses make a complete recovery from colic surgery and are capable of competing at the same level as before.

This veterinary feature was first published in Horse & Hound (4 October '05)