Duration of disease influences survival to discharge of Thoroughbred mares with surgically treated large colon volvulus.

This study researched the impact of disease duration on survival rates in Thoroughbred mares with large colon volvulus treated surgically. It found that early intervention and treatment significantly improved the horses’ chances of survival.

Research Details

• The study was a retrospective case analysis, where the researchers reviewed medical records from Thoroughbred mares, aged 2 years or older, who had undergone surgical treatment for large colon volvulus between March 1986 and February 2011.
• Large colon volvulus is a life-threatening condition in horses that results in a strangulating obstruction requiring immediate surgical intervention.
• The aim of the research was twofold: to investigate how the disease duration before surgical intervention impacts survival after treatment and to examine relationships between other factors and survival post-surgery.

Research Results

• Within the study period, 1039 surgeries were performed on 896 Thoroughbred mares.
• The median time from the start of colic symptoms (a common sign of large colon volvulus) to admission was 2 hours, and from admission to anesthetic induction was 25 minutes.
• The median surgical time was 70 minutes, with simple correction of the large colon volvulus and replacement of the colon being the primary surgical treatments.
• The overall survival rate to discharge was 88%.

Key Findings

• The study found several risk factors significantly associated with survival. These include the duration of colic symptoms before admission, packed cell volume at admission, length of surgery, duration of hypotension under anesthesia, heart rate 48 hours post-operatively, post-operative manure consistency, and length of hospital stay.
• The duration of colic symptoms before admission was statistically associated with patient survival to discharge; the earlier the intervention, the higher the survival rate. The same was found for other factors that signified disease severity and the degree of colon compromise.
• The study concludes that horses suffering from large colon volvulus have a good prognosis for recovery when referred early and promptly treated surgically.