The post-operative period in horses refers to the timeframe following surgical procedures during which the animal undergoes recovery and rehabilitation. This period involves careful monitoring and management to ensure proper healing and to minimize complications. Key aspects of the post-operative period include pain management, wound care, and the prevention of infections. Horses may require restricted movement, dietary adjustments, and regular veterinary evaluations to assess recovery progress. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the management strategies, physiological responses, and outcomes associated with the post-operative period in equine patients.
Rodgerson DH, Hanson RR.Suture ligature failure is a potential complication during laparoscopic ovariectomy techniques utilizing ligatures as a means of hemostasis. This complication in the standing mare and the successful use of laparoscopic electrosurgical instrumentation as the sole means of providing hemostasis to the mesovarium of a mare are described.
ter Braake F, Hesselink JW, Jonker FH.An eleven year old warmblood mare was referred to Dierenkliniek Emmeloord because of recurrent cyclic behavioral problems. A standing bilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed. Due to this minimal invasive technique a quick return to training was possible.
Booth TM, Clegg PD, Singer ER, Cheeseman MT.A four-year-old gelding was lame owing to a chronic septic common digital extensor tendon and sheath. The horse had been treated by open surgical lavage but the sepsis had recurred after three months. Physical, ultrasonographic, cytological and histological examinations confirmed chronic septic tenosynovitis and tendonitis. The entire intrathecal component of the common digital extensor tendon was resected under general anaesthesia and the synovial lining of the sheath was ablated. Postoperatively the horse regained good limb function and became sound.
Gayle JM, Blikslager AT, Bowman KF.To describe the clinical findings in horses with small intestinal strangulation through mesenteric rents, and to determine the recurrence and survival rates after surgery. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 15 horses with small intestinal obstruction via a mesenteric rent. Methods: Medical records of horses with obstruction of the small intestine via a mesenteric rent between January 1990 and December 1997 were reviewed. The signalment, history, initial physical examination findings, results of abdominocentesis, and clinical laboratory values were recorded. Surgical findings, including loc...
Steinman A, Kelmer G, Avni G, Johnston DE.An omphalocele was detected at birth in a male Arabian foal. The mass contained small intestine and after releasing a constricting band at the body wall, the contents slipped easily back into the abdomen. On the outside was the hairless pink membrane. The interior, now empty of small intestine, contained the umbilical arteries and vein, and a large urachus that extended from the bladder to the opening at the extremity of the mass. Six days after corrective surgery the foal was sent home and remained healthy.
Mueller PO, Harmon BG, Hay WP, Amoroso LM.To evaluate the effect of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) or a hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose membrane (HA membrane) on healing of the small intestine in horses. Methods: 18 healthy adult horses. Methods: Midline celiotomy and 2 jejunal resection-and-anastomosis surgeries were performed. In treated horses, SCMC (n = 6) or a HA membrane (6) was applied to the jejunum to cover the anastomosis. There were 6 untreated control horses. Horses were euthanatized 10 days after surgery. For each horse, 1 anastomosis was used for histologic examination, and the second was used to determine intes...
Roussel AJ, Hooper RN, Cohen ND, Bye AD, Hicks RJ, Bohl TW.To evaluate the effect of erythromycin on motility of the ileum, cecum, and pelvic flexure of horses during the postoperative and post-recovery periods. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized and bipolar electrodes were implanted in smooth muscle of the ileum, cecum, and pelvic flexure. Approximately 4, 16, and 24 hours (postoperative recording sessions) and at least 8 days (post-recovery recording session) after surgery, myoelectric activity was recorded before and after administration of erythromycin (0.5 mg/kg). Results: Following erythromycin administration, myo...
Chism PN, Latimer FG, Patton CS, Rohrbach BW, Blackford JT.To evaluate the tensile strength and wound morphology of the equine linea alba at intervals over 6 months after ventral median celiotomy. Methods: Linea alba tensile strength and wound morphology were determined at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 weeks postoperatively. Linea alba samples from 3 unoperated horses were used as controls. Methods: Eighteen adult horses, weighing 400 to 500 kg, 4 to 15 years old. Methods: Tensile strength and thickness of incised linea alba samples collected at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 weeks after ventral median celiotomy were compared with control linea alba samples. Additional sa...
Schumacher J, Dutton DM, Murphy DJ, Hague BA, Taylor TS.To report experience with paranasal sinus surgery through a frontonasal flap in sedated, standing horses. Methods: Treatment of 10 horses with naturally occurring paranasal sinus disease through a frontonasal bone flap created with the horses standing. Methods: Ten adult horses. Methods: After restraint and sedation, local anesthetic was injected subcutaneously along the proposed incision line over the conchofrontal sinus and was instilled into the sinuses through a small hole created in the frontal bone. A 3-sided, rectangular, cutaneous incision that extended through the periosteum was creat...
Whitton RC, Kannegieter NJ, Rose RJ.To examine the relationship between medial palmar intercarpal ligament (MPICL) tearing and postoperative performance in racing horses. Methods: The postoperative performance of 42 horses in which the midcarpal joint was examined arthroscopically was followed prospectively. Intra-articular variables examined were the severity of MPICL tearing, subchondral bone damage and articular cartilage damage. Using a scoring system based on the class of race and the position in the race, a mean score was calculated for up to five races before and after surgery. The preoperative score was subtracted from t...
van der Harst MR, Rijkenhuizen AB.The prognosis of ruptured collateral ligaments of the metacarpophalangeal or metatarsophalangeal joint in horses is usually considered to be poor, especially for future athletic performance. The main problem is the development, due to joint instability, of osteoarthritis, which may result in persistent lameness. In this paper a surgical technique is described in which joint stabilisation is realised by using a polypropylene mesh as a substitute for the ruptured ligaments, with the subsequent application of a cast for 7 weeks. The technique was successfully performed in 2 horses with ruptured l...
Greene S, Keegan R, Brown J, Kingston J, Bayly WM.This study evaluated the effects of pre-exercise frusemide administration and hypertonic saline (H) infusion during anaesthesia on arterial pH, blood gases and electrolytes in 6 Thoroughbred horses anaesthetised immediately post exercise. Horses received either frusemide (F) (0.5 mg/kg, i.v.) or a saline placebo (P) injection 4 h prior to treadmill exercise. Exercise consisted of a 3 min warm-up at 40% VO2max followed by exercise to fatigue. Detomidine (40 micrograms/kg, i.v.) was given within 5 min of stopping and followed 5 min later by zolazepam-tiletamine (1.25 mg/kg, i.v.) to induce anaes...
Mueller PO, Hay WP, Harmon B, Amoroso L.To evaluate the efficacy of a bioresorbable hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose membrane (HA-membrane) for prevention of experimentally induced abdominal adhesions in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Twelve healthy adult horses. Methods: The effect of an HA-membrane on adhesion formation was evaluated in 12 healthy horses using an established model of serosal trauma to induce adhesions. A ventral median celiotomy and two jejunal resections and end-to-end anastomoses were performed. Two separate jejunal areas were abraded, and three 2-0 chromic gut sutures placed in the abraded area...
Winberg FG, Pettersson H.Twenty horses with central and third tarsal bone slab fractures, were treated internal fixation. Eighteen of the 20 cases were Standardbred trotters, one was a Thoroughbred racehorse and one a Swedish Warmblood. The central tarsal bone (CT) was involved in 12 cases and the third tarsal bone (T3) in 8 cases. The fractures were treated by lag screw fixation with one (18 cases) or two (2 cases) 3.5 or 4.5 mm cortical screws. Horses were confined to stall rest for one month and then put on a gradually increasing exercise programme. Convalescence time was 3-8 months until the fracture had healed an...
van Hoogmoed L, Yarbrough TB, Lecouteur RA, Hornof WJ.A 6 week old American Paint filly was admitted for evaluation of a dorsal thoracic mass suspected to be a meningocele. The diagnosis was confirmed by plain and contrast enhanced computed tomography. Surgical repair was performed by dissection of the base of the meningocele followed by ligation. No postoperative complications occurred. Contrast enhanced computed tomography was useful to confirm the diagnosis of meningocele and rule out a meningomyelocele.
Fortier LA, Nixon AJ, Ducharme NG, Mohammed HO, Yeager A.To determine the outcome of horses with "complex" digital tenosynovitis treated by tenoscopic proximal annular ligament desmotomy and resection of synovial masses or adhesions, or both, within the digital sheath. Methods: Retrospective evaluation. Methods: Twenty-five horses with a clinical and ultrasonographic diagnosis of palmar or plantar proximal annular ligament constriction and ultrasonographic evidence of synovial masses or adhesions within the digital tendon sheath. Methods: Each horse had tenoscopic surgery for annular ligament desmotomy combined with adhesiolysis and/or synovial mass...
Galuppo LD, Pascoe JR, Jang SS, Willits NH, Greenman SL.To document natural bacterial flora on the ventral aspect of the equine abdomen, to compare 2 preparation techniques, and to identify potential risk factors that may contribute to incisional drainage. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 53 horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Methods: Group-1 horses (n = 26) were prepared with povidone-iodine and alcohol. Group-2 horses (27) were prepared with a film-forming iodophor complex. Numbers of bacterial colony-forming units (CFU) were measured before and after surgical scrub, following skin closure, and after recovery from general anesthesia. Sw...
Gayle JM, Redding WR, Vacek JR, Bowman KF.Diagnosis and treatment of periapical infection of the third mandibular molar in 5 horses was assessed. In 4 of 5 horses, there was a recent history of dental work performed. Diagnosis required multiple imaging techniques. Radiography revealed evidence of periapical bone lysis or tooth root lysis of the third mandibular molar in 3 of 5 horses. Sonographic examination was effective in identifying abscesses within the masseter muscle and defects of the lateral cortex of the mandible in 4 of 5 horses. Nuclear scintigraphy was diagnostic in 1 of 2 horses examined. All horses were treated by repuls...
Tudor RA, Papich MG, Redding WR.To evaluate pharmacokinetics of once daily i.v. administration of gentamicin sulfate to adult horses that had abdominal surgery. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 28 adult horses that underwent abdominal surgery for colic. Methods: 14 horses were treated with each dosage of gentamicin (i.e., 6.6 or 4 mg/kg, i.v., q 24 h) and blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis. Plasma gentamicin concentrations were measured by use of a fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Pharmacokinetic analysis measured the elimination half-life, volume of distribution, and gentamicin total systemi...
Zekas LJ, Bramlage LR, Embertson RM, Hance SR.The objectives of this study were to correlate condylar fracture characteristics and type of treatment with subsequent capacity for athletic ability, and to determine the characteristics of healing that affect prognosis after fracture fixation. Medical records, post operative radiographic studies and race records were examined for 135 horses sustaining 145 fractures. Sixty-five percent of horses overall started in a race post injury (SPI) in a mean time of 9.7 months with a mean of 13.7 races post injury. Having raced pre-injury did not confer an advantage to starting post injury, though nonst...
Gerard MP, Blikslager AT, Roberts MC, Tate LP, Argenzio RA.Recent studies suggest that horses requiring surgical correction of strangulating intestinal obstruction may develop post operative complications as a result of ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Therefore, the mucosal and serosal margins of resected small intestine from 9 horses with small intestinal strangulating lesions were examined for evidence of ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Severe mucosal injury and marked elevations in myeloperoxidase activity were detected at ileal resection margins (n = 4), whereas the mucosa from proximal jejunal (n = 9) and distal jejunal (n = 5) resection margins was ...
Hultén C, Tulamo RM, Suominen MM, Burvall K, Marhaug G, Forsberg M.A non-competitive chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay for measuring serum amyloid A (SAA) in equine serum was developed. A polyclonal anti-equine-amyloid A antiserum specific for equine SAA was utilized, and the assay was standardized using highly purified equine SAA. An acute phase horse serum was calibrated against the purified SAA and was used as standard when running the assay. Serum SAA concentrations in the range of 3-1210 mg/l could be measured. The reference range of SAA in clinically healthy adult horses was <7 mg/l. The clinical validation of the assay comprised the SAA responses...
Yarbrough TB, Voss E, Herrgesell EJ, Shaw M.To report the clinical signs and management of 4 foals with persistent frenulum of the epiglottis. Methods: Case report. Methods: Four newborn foals. Methods: Foals were admitted with a complaint of oronasal reflux after nursing. Variable systemic signs of aspiration pneumonia were evident. Nasal endoscopy confirmed persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate. Persistent frenulum of the epiglottis, confirmed by oral endoscopic examination, was transected. Results: After surgery, all foals had the epiglottis positioned normally, dorsal to the soft palate. Clinical signs of oronasal reflux...
Bouré L, Marcoux M, Laverty S, Lepage OM.To develop a technique for arthroscopic excision of apical sesamoid fracture fragments using electrocautery probes. Methods: A total of 18 Standardbred horses. Methods: Arthroscopic removal of apical sesamoid fracture fragments using both hook and loop electrocautery probes was performed on 18 Standardbred horses. The fracture fragments were approached using either an ipsilateral (3) or contralateral (15) arthroscopic triangulation technique. Distension of the metacarpo- (metatarso)-phalangeal joints was achieved using a 1.5% glycine solution. Under arthroscopic guidance, both the suspensory a...
Freeman DE, Johnston JK, Baker GJ, Hungerford LL, Lock TF.This study was designed to evaluate the haemostatic suture as a means of preventing haemorrhage from the hysterotomy in mares after caesarean section. At 2 university hospitals 1982-1994, 48 mares had caesarean section for dystocia, 10 as an elective, and 8 mares concurrently with colic surgery. The haemostatic suture was used in 31 of 66 mares (47%) and surgery period was significantly (P<0.05) shorter when it was not applied. Anaemia (PCV<30%) was recorded in 13 (22%) of 58 mares, excluding the colic group, and the haemostatic suture did not after this proportion of mares that had anae...
Dallap BL, Bramlage LR, Embertson RM.The purpose of this study was to evaluate screw fixation with cortical drilling as a surgical treatment for dorsal cortical stress fractures of MCIII in the Thoroughbred racehorse. Details of age, sex, limb affected, fracture assessment, and post operative recommendations were obtained from medical records and radiographs. Fracture healing was assessed radiographically at the time of screw removal. Performance evaluation was determined from race records obtained from The Jockey Club Information System, Lexington, Kentucky. Fifty-six Thoroughbred racehorses were treated surgically for stress fr...
Fischer AT.A technique for laparoscopically assisted resection of umbilical structures in foals was developed. Eleven foals ranging from 8 to 42 days old underwent this procedure. Results of bacteriologic culture of umbilical structures were positive in 7 foals. Mean duration of anesthesia was 99 minutes, of which the initial 20 to 25 minutes were typically devoted to positioning and preparation of the foal for surgery. Major complications did not develop in any foal. Minor complications, such as slippage of the endoscopic ligating clip or laceration of the bladder during dissection, were dealt with succ...
Henninger RW, Beard WL, Schneider RK, Bramlage LR, Burkhardt HA.To compare fracture locations, repair methods, complications, and outcomes of horses with fractures of the rostral portions of the mandible and maxilla. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 89 horses with fractures of the rostral portions of the mandible and maxilla. Methods: Medical records and radiographs were reviewed. Fractures were categorized by fracture location and stability. Postoperative complications and long-term outcome were determined by clinical examination and telephone interviews with horse owners. Results: 4 fracture types were recognized. Fractures involving just the alveo...
Nelson BB, Easley J, Steward SKT, Smanik LE, Koch DW, Rawlinson JE, Easley JT.To report the radiographic, surgical and postoperative features in horses with unstable oblique mandibular fractures secured with polyaxial pedicle screws (PPS) external fixation construct and intraoral wiring. Methods: Three client-owned horses. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Two horses each had a unilateral fracture, which did not improve after conservative management, and one horse had bilateral fractures. Clinical and radiographic features were documented. Polyaxial pedicle screw external fixators and intraoral tension band wiring were applied in standing horses after combining sedat...
McClellan NR, Mudge MC, Scansen BA, Jung SS, Russell D.To describe successful transarterial coil embolization of a palatine artery pseudoaneurysm that extended into the caudal maxillary sinus of a gelding. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: A 24-year-old Morgan gelding with right-sided epistaxis. Methods: The right maxillary sinus was imaged by radiography, computed tomography, and sinoscopy. Angiography was performed to locate the source of bleeding, and transarterial coil embolization of a right palatine artery pseudoaneurysm was performed. Results: There was some mucoid nasal discharge and an intermittent cough postoperatively. No epistaxis was...
Ward JL, Fubini SL.Cecocolic intussusception was detected in a 2-year-old male Standardbred horse with a 3-day history of signs of intermittent colic. The entire cecum, which was located within the lumen of the right ventral colon, was edematous and necrotic, and could not be manually reduced. A colotomy was made, and partial typhlectomy was performed. An ileocolostomy also was performed. To prevent eversion of the cecal base, the site of invagination into the colon was oversewn. Several postoperative complications were treated, including peritonitis, thrombophlebitis, anemia, and hypoproteinemia, and 1 year aft...
Fitzharris LE, Lane JG, Allen KJ.To determine the proportion of horses treated by laryngoplasty prosthesis removal (LPR) for complications associated with prosthetic laryngoplasty (LP), the reason for LPR, and the outcome of horses undergoing LPR to manage iatrogenic coughing/dysphagia. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Client-owned horses treated with LP (n = 1202) and LPR (n = 58). Methods: Clinical case records were reviewed to determine the number of horses treated with LP and LPR by the same surgeon. Historical, clinical, endoscopic, and surgical data were extracted for those horses undergoing LPR. Long-term...
Cuevas-Ramos G, Domenech L, Prades M.Postoperative reflux (POR) is a well-recognized complication after colic surgery in horses, particularly when presenting small intestinal pathology. Even though much has been written about the pathophysiology and management of POR, additional clinical studies are needed to better understand and anticipate this complication. The aim of the study was to provide clinical evidence of ultrasound findings in the postoperative period (three days). The study is based on transcutaneous abdominal ultrasounds of the caudoventral abdomen during the postoperative period (three days), in 58 horses, presente...
Williams TB, Williams JM, Rodgerson DH.Nylon cable tie has been shown to be an effective and economical method for fixing fractured ribs in the neonatal foal. This article describes a modification of the previously described technique. Under general anesthesia, the fractured ribs were exposed and a hole was drilled in the dorsal and ventral fragments. The fracture was not reduced, leaving the fragments overriding each other. The nylon cable tie was passed through the hole in the dorsal fragment from the external surface of the rib. The free end of the cable tie was then passed through the hole in the ventral fragment from the exter...
Genetzky RM, Schneider EJ, Butler HC, Guffy MM.Arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint in horses, with 2 screws crisscrossing the joint, was compared with arthrodesis achieved by placement of 3 screws crossing the joint parallel to the long axis of the bone. The comparison was made by means of radiography, gross and histologic examinations, and motion evaluation. Additionally, the fused 1st and 2nd phalanges resulting from each method were subjected to breaking forces. Motion evaluation and direct examination of the fused area demonstrated that either procedure can be used to achieve arthrodesis consistently, and the breaking pro...
Terschuur JA, Coomer RPC, McKane SA.The objective of this study was to investigate the postoperative use of intrasynovial honey as an antimicrobial after treatment for synovial sepsis in horses. One colt and 2 mares were presented with acute lameness, with or without an associated wound. All 3 cases were initially managed with surgical endoscopic or tenoscopic debridement and lavage for treatment of different synovial structures. Collection of synovial fluid was consistent with synovial sepsis and this was diagnosed in each case. All horses subsequently underwent arthroscopic lavage under general anesthetic and intraarticular or...
Hann MJ, Mair TS, Gardner A, Mudge M, Southwood LL, Dechant JE, Barton MH, Garcia-Macias J, Parker RA, Hassel D, Archer DC.Incisional complications are a common cause of morbidity following laparotomy. Although uncommon, acute abdominal dehiscence (AAD) is a potentially fatal post-operative complication. However, few AAD cases are described in the literature. Objective: To describe common features of cases of AAD following ventral midline laparotomy, management and outcomes. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Hospital records of horses that underwent a ventral midline laparotomy at nine hospitals in the UK, Ireland and USA over a 10-year period (2009-2019) were reviewed. Data were collected for pre-, int...
Merchán A, Koenig J, Côté N, Cribb N, Monteith G.The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the occurrence of joint-related complications after elective arthroscopy of the tibiotarsal joint (TTJ) in 329 horses, and the association with specific clinical parameters. Data were collected from medical records of horses undergoing elective tibiotarsal joint arthroscopy for fragment removal. Exact conditional univariate regression was used to determine significant risk factors for joint-related post-operative complications. Of 485 joints, 2 (0.4%) developed surgical site infection, 4 (0.8%) developed septic arthritis, 1 (0.2%) deve...
Goodrich LR, Nixon AJ, Conway JD, Morley PS, Bladon BM, Hogan PM.An in-depth review of dynamic compression plate (DCP) fixation of propagating medial condyle fractures of the third metacarpus or metatarsus has not been previously reported. Objective: To describe the technique, evaluate short-term outcome and long-term race performance of racehorses that underwent DCP fixation for repair of propagating or spiralling medial condylar fractures of the third metacarpal (McIII) or metatarsal (MtIII) bone. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: The surgical case records of 30 horses with propagating fractures of the medial condyle of McIII or MtIII were revi...
Vitte A, Rossignol F, Mespoulhes-Rivière C, Lechartier A, Röecken M.To report a combination of standing laparoscopic technique for intra-abdominal dissection of the mesovarial pedicle followed by a limited ventral median celiotomy under general anesthesia for removal of enlarged ovaries in mares. Methods: Case series. Methods: Mares (n = 20) aged 3-22 years with unilateral enlarged ovaries. Methods: Enlarged ovaries were confirmed by transrectal palpation and ultrasonography. After sedation, 3 laparoscopic portals were made in the paralumbar fossa. The mesovarium was desensitized and dissected using a vessel sealing device, and the ovary was left free in t...
de Miguel Garcia C, Campoy L, Parry SA, Martin-Flores M, Gleed RD.Several factors affect the quality of recovery from general anesthesia in horses. These can increase the likelihood of injury. Body and limb position during recovery may correlate with successful standing. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of and the factors associated with successful standing at the first attempt in horses undergoing general anesthesia. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Video of recovery and anesthetic records from 221 equine patients were reviewed by six veterinary students. Cases with poor video quality or incomplete anesthetic records were exc...
Chiocchetti R, Bombardi C, Mongardi Fantaguzzi C, Russo D, Venturelli E, Montoneri C, Spadari A, Romagnoli N, Grandis A.In horses, morpho-functional studies related to the enteric nervous system (ENS) controlling the sphincters are lacking. Objective: To investigate immunohistochemically the morphology, distribution, density, phenotypes and projections of neurons controlling the ileocaecal junction (ICJ). Methods: Two young horses were anaesthetised and underwent midline laparotomy. The neuronal retrograde fluorescent tracer Fast Blue (FB) was injected into the wall of the ICJ. A post surgical survival time of 30 days was used. Following euthanasia, the ileum and a small portion of caecum were removed. Cryosect...
Jung C, Hospes R, Bostedt H, Litzke LF.To report on the outcome of surgical treatment of uterine torsion in preterm mares. Methods: Retrospective case series of pregnant mares with uterine torsion presented to the Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals. Methods: Hospital records of all pregnant mares that underwent ventral midline laparotomy for uterine torsion between 1998 and 2004 were reviewed. The signalment, history, clinical signs, results of diagnostic procedures, direction and degree of the uterine twist, treatment and outcome were retrieved from each case record. Results: This study com...
Frankland AL, Morris PG, Spreull JS.Seven pieces of autologous skin were transplanted onto freshly created, full thickness skin defects on the limbs and back of a one-year-old, male, piebald, Shetland pony. The transplantations were completed in two operative sessions, the transplants on the left side were done in the first session and the right side in the second. The sizes of the transplants varied from 20 sq cm to 2 sq cm and their thicknesses from whole skin to very thin, split skin. Donor sites were both rumps and the right side of the neck. Six of the seven grafts and two thirds of the remaining graft, were accepted. Both ...
Ragle CA.Laparoscopic cystotomy is the method of choice for treatment of a cystic calculus in the horse. The main advantage of this procedure over others is the excellent ability to view and gain operative access to the urinary bladder. This article describes the procedure, including techniques, instrumentation, preoperative and postoperative care, and complications.
McClure SR, Watkins JP, Glickman NW, Hawkins JF, Glickman LT.To compare treatments of complete fractures of the third metacarpal (MC) or metatarsal (MT) bone in horses and to identify factors that could impact prognosis. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 25 horses with fractures of the third MC or MT bone that were treated by use of internal fixation, external coaptation, or both. Methods: Medical records from the Veterinary Medical Data Base of horses treated for fractures of third MC or MT bone at Texas A&M University from 1980 to 1994 and Purdue University from 1980 to 1996 were reviewed. Information on signalment, results of physical ...
Caldwell FJ, Waguespack RW.To develop a tenoscopic approach for desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL-DDFT) in horses. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Cadaveric forelimbs (n=10) and 4 forelimbs from 2 horses anesthetized for terminal teaching procedures, and 12 forelimbs of 6 experimental horses. Methods: Saline distention of the carpal flexor sheath facilitated insertion of an arthroscope into the distal medial aspect of the sheath between the AL-DDFT and deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). Location of an instrument portal on the lateral aspect of the metacarpus was identified with a ...
Wilson DG.A 3-year-old Standardbred gelding was referred for evaluation of a fluctuant swelling that developed over the dorsum of the carpus subsequent to arthroscopic surgery on that carpus. A synovial hernia was diagnosed and surgically repaired. Although complications secondary to arthroscopy are rare, synovial herniation can develop after arthroscopic surgery. The condition must be differentiated from the more common true bursitis or false bursitis that is commonly referred to as a hygroma.
Giusto G, Gandini M.In equine abdominal surgery, resection and anastomosis of strangulated intestine is a commonly performed procedure. To date, ligatures, vessel sealing devices and the ligate-divide stapler have been described for this use in horses. The objective of this study was to compare the application of haemostatic clips and ligatures to occlude equine mesenteric vessels. Portions of jejunum with ten associated mesenteric vessels were collected from 12 horses at a local abattoir and divided into two groups. Portions of intestine were divided into two sections comprising five vessels each and assigned to...
Spagnolo JD, Castro LM, Corrêa RR, Garcia Filho SG, Ambrósio AM, Baccarin RYA, Hagen SCF, de Sá LM, Silva LCLC.This study aimed to describe and evaluate a laparoscopic technique to promote nephrosplenic space ablation in horses using a homologous pericardium implant, preserved in 98% glycerin and fixed using laparoscopic polydioxanone staples. In this experimental study, six Arabian horses without previous related abdominal diseases were used. The surgical procedures were performed in the standing position under sedation with alpha-2 agonists and opioids, associated with local infiltration of the local anesthetic in the portal sites. The horses were restrained in a stock, and the left flanks were clipp...
Rutherford DJ, Bladon B, Rogers CW.To describe outcomes for horses diagnosed with incomplete, non-displaced fractures of the frontal plane of the radial facet (INFR) of the third carpal bone (C3) treated by placement of a lag screw across the fracture under arthroscopic guidance. Methods: Horses (n=13) diagnosed with INFR and treated between December 1999 and January 2005 using a lag screw placed over the fracture were studied. For each case, five horses matched for sire, age and sex which were not known to have INFR were sought for comparison. Racing performance data were collected from a commercial online database. The racing...
Orsini JA, Nunamaker DN.A 4-year-old Standardbred stallion sustained a severely comminuted fracture involving the second, third, and fourth metacarpal bones. The fracture was repaired using two 14-hole broad dynamic compression plates positioned at 90 degrees to one another, allowing one plate to protect the other in the bending mode. An autologous cancellous bone graft obtained from the tuber coxae was added at the site of the defect in the mid- to upper third of the third metacarpal bone. Complications associated with the fixation included a Staphylococcus aureus infection 5 months after surgery, laminitis that dev...
Bell RJ, Textor JA.To establish the prevalence of intussusceptions involving the caecum in a population of horses admitted to a university hospital for colic. Methods: Retrospective clinical study Methods: Medical records of all horses admitted to the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1991 and 2004 were examined for information of those horses diagnosed with an intussusception involving the caecum. Results: A total of 135 horses were admitted for colic surgery during the study period and 61 horses had a diagnosis of ileocaecal (37), caecocaecal (5) or caecocolic intussusception (19) made eit...
Ragle CA, de Mira MC, Pearson LK, Coelho JC.A 2-year-old Quarter Horse was evaluated because of a progressive left-sided facial deformity and unilateral nasal and ocular discharge. Results: Physical examination revealed convexity of the left frontonasal region, left-sided nasal and ocular discharge, and decreased air flow through the left nares. Radiography and computed tomography revealed an extensively mineralized mass occupying most of the left paranasal sinuses. Results: The mass was surgically debulked, but complete removal was precluded because the mass was tightly adhered to the frontal and maxillary bones. Results of histologic ...
Takeuchi K, Murakami A, Sekiguchi A, Hirata Y, Maeda K, Kitahori K, Doi Y, Takamoto S.Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction is a frequent condition after Rastelli operation. Although several modifications have been reported elsewhere, ideal conduit has not been developed yet during long-term follow-up. We reviewed our experiences over 15-year long-term follow-up with patients who underwent Rastelli operation using house-made equine pericardial roll graft. Methods: Since June 1981, 16 patients underwent Rastelli operation with the pericardial roll graft. Median follow-up time was 15.6 years (7.3-26.8 years). Results: Twelve out of 16 patients using pericardial roll graft w...
Alcott CJ, Wong DM.To describe the diagnostic procedures, therapeutic management and successful outcome of a case of anaphylaxis induced by the inadvertent intravenous (IV) administration of mare's milk to a neonatal foal. Methods: A 3-day-old Thoroughbred colt was presented for treatment of bilateral flexural limb deformities of the forelimbs. Because the foal was unable to ambulate initially, mare's milk was administered via nasoesophageal tube feedings during treatment of the musculoskeletal disorder. Anaphylaxis resulted after unintentional administration of a bolus of 150mL of mare's milk through a jugular ...
Coleman MC, Slovis NM, Hunt RJ.It has been suggested that the success of gastric bypass surgery in foals for the treatment of gastric outflow obstruction is poor. However, few reports exist evaluating the long-term prognosis of these cases. Objective: To determine the long-term success of foals, including racing records, surgically treated for gastric outflow obstruction secondary to gastroduodenal ulceration. Methods: Medical records of foals undergoing surgical treatment of gastric outflow obstruction secondary to gastroduodenal ulceration were evaluated for clinical information. Owners, trainers and race records were eva...
Craig D, Todhunter R.An esophageal stricture was diagnosed in a 9-month-old quarterhorse by esophagoscopy and positive pressure contrast esophagography. Medical management and two attempts at surgical intervention were unsuccessful. The initial surgical technique used was a linear esophagotomy, mucosal resection and anastomosis, and closure of the muscular tunic, which resulted in a more severe stricture. The second surgical procedure was interruption of the stricture cicatrix by a single linear esophagotomy and primary closure of only the esophageal muscular tunic. This technique resulted in an increased lumen di...
