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The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2019; 60(4); 381-385;

Complications and survival in horses with surgically confirmed right dorsal displacement of the large colon.

Abstract: This study compared post-operative complications and survival in horses with right dorsal displacement of the large colon (RDD) and horses with other non-strangulating large colon (NSLC) lesions. Data were obtained from medical records of horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy from 2000 to 2016 and from owner questionnaire. Of 137 horses that fitted the inclusion criteria, 67 (49%) had RDD and 70 (51%) had NSLC lesions. Twenty-eight horses with RDD (42%) and 27 horses with NSLC (39%) experienced ≥ 1 complication after surgery. The RDD group showed more severe complications than the NSLC group (P = 0.0145). Horses with RDD were more likely to develop colic in the short term (P = 0.0111), but not in the long-term (P = 0.453), and were more likely to have a 2nd laparotomy (P = 0.0003). There was no significant difference in short- or long-term survival between groups. Major post-operative complications in the RDD group did not influence short- or long-term survival. Complications et survie des chevaux atteints d’un déplacement dorsal droit du gros côlon confirmé par chirurgie. Cette étude a comparé les complications et la survie postopératoires chez les chevaux atteints d’un déplacement dorsal droit du gros côlon (DDD) et les chevaux atteints d’autres lésions non étranglantes du gros côlon (LNEGC). Des données ont été obtenues dans les dossiers médicaux de chevaux qui avaient subi une laparatomie exploratoire entre 2000 et 2016 et dans un questionnaire auprès des propriétaires. Parmi les 137 chevaux qui satisfaisaient aux critères d’inclusion, 67 (49 %) avaient eu un DDD et 70 (51 %) avaient eu des lésions LNEGC. Vingt-huit chevaux atteints d’un DDD (42 %) et 27 chevaux qui avaient une LNEGC (39 %) ont éprouvé ≥ 1 complication après la chirurgie. Le groupe DDD a manifesté des complications plus graves que le groupe LNEGC (P = 0,0145). Il était plus probable que les chevaux atteints de DDD développent des coliques à court terme (P = 0,0111), mais pas à long terme (P = 0,453) et il était plus probable qu’ils aient à subir une deuxième laparotomie (P = 0,0003). Il n’y avait aucune différence significative au niveau de la survie à court ou à long terme entre les groupes. Les complications postopératoires majeures du groupe DDD n’ont pas influencé la survie à court ou à long terme.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
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Publication Date: 2019-04-18 PubMed ID: 30992593PubMed Central: PMC6417614
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article examines the post-operative complications and survival rate of horses with two specific conditions related to large colon dysfunction. The conditions are right dorsal displacement (RDD) and non-strangulating large colon (NSLC) lesions, and the authors assess their impact on the equine population studied over a 16-year period.

Study Design and Data Collection

  • The authors extracted data from the 16-year long medical records of horses that underwent exploratory laparotomy, an abdominal surgical procedure performed to examine abdominal organs. Furthermore, they utilized an owner questionnaire for supplemental information.
  • The sample included 137 horses, out of which 67 had RDD (49%), and 70 had NSLC lesions (51%).

Post-Operative Complications

  • This study revealed that the RDD group displayed more severe complications than the NSLC group, evidenced by a significant statistical difference in the two groups (p = 0.0145).
  • There were 28 horses with RDD (42%) and 27 horses with NSLC (39%) that experienced one or more complications after the surgery.
  • Horses with RDD were more likely to develop colic, a severe digestive issue, in the short term (p = 0.0111), although this propensity didn’t carry over to the long-term (p = 0.453).
  • Another noteworthy finding was that horses with RDD were more inclined to require a second laparotomy (p = 0.0003).

Survival Rates

  • The research found no significant difference in short-term or long-term survival between the RDD and NSLC groups, implying that despite the varying severity of complications, the overall chances of survival were not affected.
  • Even among horses with major post-operative complications in the RDD group, these complications didn’t negatively influence their short- or long-term survival.

All in all, this research provides valuable insights into how RDD and NSLC lesions affect horses post-operatively and can influence future treatment decisions and prognosis for these conditions.

Cite This Article

APA
Whyard JM, Brounts SH. (2019). Complications and survival in horses with surgically confirmed right dorsal displacement of the large colon. Can Vet J, 60(4), 381-385.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 60
Issue: 4
Pages: 381-385

Researcher Affiliations

Whyard, Jennifer M
  • Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1215 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
Brounts, Sabrina H
  • Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1215 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Colic / veterinary
  • Colonic Diseases / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases
  • Horses
  • Postoperative Complications / veterinary
  • Retrospective Studies

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Azizi S, Mazaheri-Khameneh R, Davoodi F, Gooran MM, Ghoreishi SS, Mozaffari N, Dalir-Naghadeh B. Unusual left colon displacement and clockwise torsion in a 10-month-old Arab filly: A case report. Vet Med Sci 2024 Jul;10(4):e1481.
    doi: 10.1002/vms3.1481pubmed: 39031749google scholar: lookup
  2. Gaitan HM, Mudge MC, Litsky AS, Arruda AG, Gardner AK. Ex vivo biomechanical evaluation of tissue construct strength in an equine colopexy model. Vet Surg 2025 Jan;54(1):189-198.
    doi: 10.1111/vsu.14117pubmed: 38975740google scholar: lookup
  3. Steward SK, McKee HM, Watson AM, Salman MD, Hassel DM. Transcutaneous Detection of Intramural Microchips for Tracking the Migration of the Equine Large Colon: A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 5;12(23).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12233421pubmed: 36496942google scholar: lookup
  4. Bishop RC, Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD, Stewart MC, McCoy AM. Performance of predictive models of survival in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for colic. Vet Surg 2022 Aug;51(6):891-902.
    doi: 10.1111/vsu.13839pubmed: 35674231google scholar: lookup
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