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Topic:Post-Operative Period
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.
Evaluation of peritoneal fluid following intestinal resection and anastomosis in horses. Postoperative abdominal fluid changes were compared in 2 groups of horses; those undergoing double small-colon resection and anastomosis (n = 10) and those undergoing exploratory celiotomy alone (n = 5). Peritoneal fluid was collected before surgery and on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 7. Total and differential nucleated cell counts, RBC numbers, and total protein and fibrinogen concentrations were evaluated. In both groups, all values were significantly higher than normal on the first postoperative day (after small-colon resection and anastomoses, WBC = 130,350 +/- 23,310 cells/microliters,...
The influence of surgery and anaesthesia on the pharmacokinetics of pethidine in the horse. The plasma concentration of pethidine was measured in 16 horses, after its administration intravenously (i.v.) at a dose rate of 1 mg/kg bodyweight (bwt). In eight animals studied before surgery, the plasma levels of the drug decreased in a bi-exponential manner with a distributive half life of 3 mins and an elimination half life of 57.7 mins. Total body clearance was 17.7 ml/kg bwt/min. The remaining horses were investigated immediately after a period of anaesthesia and surgery and in these animals the drug exhibited smaller volumes of distribution (V1 cand Vdarea) and a significantly lower c...
Follow-up of 28 horses with third metacarpal unicortical stress fractures following treatment with osteostixis. The results of 31 intracortical dorsal metacarpal stress fractures in 28 horses following unicortical osteostixis were reviewed. The incidence was predominately in the middle third of the lateral aspect of the left metacarpus, and males were affected more commonly. Approximately half of the surgical procedures were performed with the horse in the standing position. The mean times to return to training and racing were 4.25 and 6.9 months respectively. There was no correlation between time taken to return to racing and position of surgery. Complications experienced included lack of suture remova...
Volvulus of the cecum and large colon caused by multiple mesenteric defects in a horse. A 2-year-old Standardbred colt was examined because of signs of abdominal pain of 12 hours' duration. Clinical signs of disease, including tachycardia and abdominal distention, and rectal palpation findings of distention and thickening of the ventral colon, were consistent with displacement or early strangulation obstruction of the large colon. Surgical exploration revealed volvulus of the large colon around an axis formed by the dorsal mesenteric attachment of the transverse colon. The cecum could be completely exteriorized and lacked the cecocolic ligament and dorsal mesenteric attachments. ...
Resection and anastomosis of the small colon in four horses. Resection and anastomosis of the small colon was performed on 4 horses with vascular lesions (strangulating lipoma, mesenteric tear, dissecting haematoma) or functional obstruction (stricture) of this area of the bowel. The anastomoses were performed using a variety of suture materials in 2 layers. An appositional, full-thickness, simple, interrupted pattern was used in the first layer in all cases and oversewn with either a Cushing pattern (3 cases) or a Utrecht pattern (1 case). Post-operative complications associated with suture material and surgical technique were not seen. All horses were...
Volvulus of the colon in a horse associated with a mesocolic-umbilical band. A 7-years-old Clydesdale mare was presented with severe abdominal distension and acute colic. Dilated large intestine was palpated per rectum and a ventral midline exploratory laparotomy was performed. A 180 degrees volvulus of the pelvic flexure was present, associated with an inelastic band of tissue connecting the mesocolon to the umbilicus. The band was ligated and transected, and the volvulus reduced. Postoperative complications included hyponatraemia, metabolic acidosis and laminitis. The possible aetiology of the mesocolic-umbilical band is discussed.
Sutured end-to-end and stapled side-to-side jejunal anastomoses in the horse. Hand sutured end-to-end (EE) and stapled side-to-side (SS) small intestinal anastomoses were performed in 10 healthy adult horses. In five SS anastomoses, staple lines on the blind ends of the jejunum were inverted (SSI) and in five they were not (SSNI). Five EE anastomoses were sutured with polydioxanone and five were sutured with polyglyconate. All horses were euthanatized on day 30. Intra-abdominal adhesions were graded (0-4), and stomal areas were calculated from contrast radiographs made with the bowel distended. Histopathology scores for the anastomoses were based on the degree of inflam...
Medical and surgical management of small-colon impaction in horses: 28 cases (1984-1989). Medical records of 28 horses with impaction of the small colon were reviewed; 20 horses were admitted during the winter months. Diagnosis of small-colon impaction was made in 21 horses by rectal examination, and in 7 horses at exploratory celiotomy. Ten horses were treated medically, and 18 were treated surgically. Horses that were treated surgically were more likely to have abdominal distention than were those that responded to medical treatment (P less than 0.025). Signs of greater degree of abdominal pain and higher heart rate were seen in horses treated surgically, but these values were no...
Salmonella typhimurium abscess as a postoperative complication in a horse with colic. An 11-year-old, 430-kg fox-trotter stallion was referred for evaluation of colic. A right-sided inguinal hernia was diagnosed. At exploratory laparotomy, the ileum was found to be herniated through the right inguinal canal. Compromised small intestine was resected, jejunocecal anastomosis was performed, and the horse was castrated. Three days after surgery, the stallion would not bear weight on the left hind limb. The musculature of the left thigh region became swollen. Aspiration of the left thigh region yielded serosanguineous fluid from which Salmonella typhimurium was isolated. Ultrasonogr...
Standing surgery of the neck and thorax. Many surgical procedures of the head and neck can be safely performed in the standing horse, with easy access to all aspects of the surgical field. Some procedures, such as tracheotomy, are easier to perform with the horse standing with the head in a more natural position than with the horse under general anesthesia. Procedures of the neck and thorax that require evacuation of purulent and necrotic material from confined spaces, such as occur in horses with esophageal ruptures and extensive intrathoracic abscesses, can be done as standing procedures to avoid the risks of general anesthesia on ...
Mesenteric tears of the descending (small) colon as a postpartum complication in two mares. Segmental ischemic necrosis of the descending colon associated with discrete tears of the mesocolon were diagnosed in 2 mares following foaling. After foaling, both mares had a slow onset of signs of abdominal pain and gradual deterioration of clinical status. Increases in peritoneal fluid total protein concentration and WBC count and a palpable impaction of the descending colon on examination per rectum were useful diagnostic aids. Surgical intervention was successful in one mare, but not in the other.
Standing rectal and tail surgery. A variety of rectal, perirectal, and coccygeal surgeries can be performed in the standing equine patient if appropriate chemical and physical restraints are available and adequate regional anesthesia can be achieved. Some rectal tears and most rectal prolapses, mass lesions, perirectal abscesses, rectal biopsies, and selected injuries of the tail can be managed without prohibitive difficulty. Severe injuries that compromise the small colon cranial to the peritoneal reflection may require flank laparotomy, midline celiotomy, or humane euthanasia to manage the disease process effectively and app...
Bone biopsy in the horse. 1. Method using the wing of ilium. Two hundred and five bone biopsies from the wing of ilium were taken from 52 growing and 70 older horses. The method was initially evaluated in 4 horses at post mortem and then performed in 26 horses under general anaesthesia. The technique was later developed for biopsying horses in the standing position under local anaesthesia (n = 70 adults; n = 22 foals). The core of the bone biopsy consisted of a central cancellous portion between two cortices. This type of sample allowed a complete histomorphometrical analysis. An integral part of the procedure was intravital bone labelling using fluoroc...
Chemical restraint for surgery in the standing horse. Chemical restraint can be a useful pharmacologic tool to assist the veterinarian performing surgery in the standing horse. The agents discussed impose minimal adverse side effects and are considered relatively safe when administered in the doses described. Acetylpromazine, the most widely used tranquilizer, produces mild sedation but no analgesia. The use of tranquilizers for surgical procedures requires the combined use of either a local anesthetic technique or a sedative-hypnotic or opiate to provide analgesia. Sedative-hypnotics such as xylazine and detomidine or opiates such as morphine an...
Standing musculoskeletal surgery. Indications for performing orthopedic surgery on the standing horse include inability to tolerate general anesthesia, risk of worsening an injury during recovery from anesthesia, and cost. The surgeon should be aware that performing surgery in the standing horse can be more demanding and require more experience than the same procedures when the time and convenience of general anesthesia are available. Improved sedatives and analgesics have allowed more latitude because the horses now are more tolerant than when older agents were used. Common sense should be applied to each situation before the...
Standing surgery and procedures of the head. Although most surgical procedures of the head are technically easier to perform with the horse under general anesthesia, other factors will influence whether a surgical procedure is performed with the horse standing or recumbent under the influence of general anesthesia. The accessibility of the head lends itself to many standing surgical procedures if the proper combination of analgesia and physical and chemical restraint is used. Traumatic injuries of the head (lacerations, facial bone fractures, and oral fractures) may involve vital structures, and a thorough examination is indicated. Failu...
Standing urogenital surgery. Caslick's, episioplasty, urethroplasty, cervical, and rectovestibular laceration repair are, by preference, performed in the standing patient. Normal castration is performed routinely uneventfully in the standing patient. The duration of the procedures and the ease with which they are accomplished in a standing horse of normal temperament make general anesthesia unnecessary. More invasive procedures, such as removal of urinary bladder calculi in male horses or removal of a neoplastic ovary in a mare, can be accomplished in a standing patient but serious consideration should be given to the use...
Standing abdominal surgery. Safe, effective surgery can be performed in the standing, conscious horse using a combination of mechanical and chemical restraint. Clear indications for performing standing abdominal surgery exist, but many procedures are best performed under general anesthesia. The preferred approach involves a modified grid incision of the left paralumbar fossa. Flank celiotomy allows the surgeon to thoroughly explore the abdominal cavity, but few structures can be exteriorized, and visibility of abdominal contents is poor. Indications for standing abdominal surgery include diagnosis of abdominal masses, dr...
Rostral mandibulectomy in five horses. Rostral mandibulectomy with primary gingival closure was performed in 5 horses with rapidly growing or bleeding mandibular tumors. The technique involved preservation of the most caudal portion of the mandibular symphysis to maintain stability. There were no surgical complications or recurrences, and the cosmetic and functional results were good. The histopathologic diagnosis of all the tumors was ossifying fibroma. Rostral mandibulectomy affords a simple and effective technique of treating tumors of the rostral portion of the mandible in horses.
Multivariable prediction model for the need for surgery in horses with colic. A survey of 1,965 equine colic cases was conducted from August 1985 to July 1986 at 10 equine referral centers located throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a multivariable model for the need for surgery. Two-thirds of the cases were randomly selected for model development (1,336), whereas the remaining cases (629) were used only for subsequent validation of the model. If a lesion requiring surgical correction was found at either surgery or necropsy, the case for the horse was classified as surgical, otherwise the case was classified as medical. On...
Femoral head ostectomy in horses and cattle. Femoral head ostectomy was performed in six horses, three ponies, and four cattle for treatment of fractures of the femoral capital physis, coxofemoral luxation, fractured acetabulum, or severe degenerative joint disease. The procedures were performed via a cranial approach that did not involve osteotomy of the greater trochanter. A dorsal approach for femoral head ostectomy via osteotomy of the greater trochanter was evaluated in three healthy adult ponies. Three animals (2 ponies, 1 calf) were euthanatized within a month and one horse was euthanatized at year 2 due to postoperative complicat...
[Adenoma of the pigmented epithelium of the iris with endothelialization and descemetization in the horse]. The authors describe peculiar tumors with brown-white piebald anterior surface, which had grown bilaterally from the corpora nigra (C.N.) of an adult horse and occluded the pupils. The surgical procedure for removing the larger tumor and the postoperative treatment are described. The findings by light and electron microscopy suggest that the tumor represent a so-called adenoma of the iris pigment epithelium. The white patches on its surface consist of newly formed Descemet-like material produced by displaced corneal endothelial cells, which have probably grown on the tumor after contact with t...
[Postanesthetic complications in the horse. Evaluation of anesthesia in the last 28 years (1962-1989)]. The anesthesia routine in the horse is briefly explained. 35 postanesthetic complications resulted from the total of 4364 cases of anesthesia. They are evaluated by means of the duration of anesthesia, the time of paresis, the exemplary courses of enzymes as well as the distribution of race and sex and their ratio towards all cases of anesthesia. Finally a list of demands concerning the operative and postoperative phases is compiled to minimize postoperative myositis (PAM) and lameness (PAL).
T-plate repair of fracture of the nasal bones in a horse. A 5-hole T-plate was used to repair an unstable compound depression fracture of the nasal bones in a horse. Substantial bone loss was evident as a result of severe trauma. Satisfactory bone healing, facial contour, and airway function were achieved. The use of a T-plate can be an alternative means of repair of a nasal bone fracture in a situation in which instability and/or bone loss exists.
Surgical repair of an intrathoracic esophageal pulsion diverticulum in a horse. An intrathoracic esophageal pulsion diverticulum causing repeated episodes of esophageal obstruction in a Morgan weanling colt was diagnosed by endoscopy, positive contrast radiography, and pleuroscopy. Surgical excision of the diverticulum alleviated clinical signs, and the horse was able to resume a normal diet by day 6. After 9 months the colt remains asymptomatic.
Lag screw and cancellous bone graft fixation of transverse proximal sesamoid bone fractures in horses: 25 cases (1983-1989). Case records of 25 horses with transverse fractures of the proximal sesamoid bone were reviewed to evaluate the success of treatment. All fractures were repaired by use of lag screw fixation and an autogenous cancellous bone graft because the fracture fragments were considered too large for surgical removal and reconstruction of the suspensory apparatus was necessary. Radiography was performed in all cases, and the fractures were classified into 3 types: (1) proximal midbody fractures, which included all fractures in the proximal aspect of the sesamoid bone that resulted in fragments involving...
Leiomyoma of the small colon in a horse. A leiomyoma of the small colon was discovered incidentally in a 4-year-old Thoroughbred gelding during colic surgery to correct large colon displacement. The mass and 20 cm of small colon were resected, and an end-to-end anastomosis was performed. A postoperative fecal impaction proximal to the anastomosis responded after 5 days to administration of intravenous fluids, analgesics, and stool softeners.
