Effect of extensive ileal resection with a large resulting mesenteric defect and stapled ileal stump in horses with a jejunocaecostomy: a comparison with other anastomotic techniques.

The research explores the comparative effectiveness of different surgical techniques used for treating colic in horses, with a specific focus on the stability of the stapled ileal resection and jejunocaecal anastomosis that leaves a residual mesenteric defect.

Explanation of the Research

The research trials focused on three specific points:

• Prospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a surgical treatment that involved extensive resection of the distal small intestine (ileum) followed by a stapled jejunocaecal anastomosis, all concurrently leaving a residual mesenteric defect.
• Comparison of this surgical treatment with two other techniques including a jejunocaecal anastomosis with closure of the mesentery and an end-to-end jejunojejunal anastomosis with mesenteric closure.
• Assessment of various parameters such as long-term (> 7 months) and short-term survival, duration of surgery, the extent of intestine that had to be resected, time from the completion of the surgery until the horse first defecated, and the highest recorded postoperative plasma fibrinogen level.

Conclusion Drawn from the Research

Based on the assessments, the research concludes:

• The extensive resection of the ileum followed by a stapled jejunocaecal anastomosis whilst retaining a residual mesenteric defect is a workable technique when the distal ileum needs to be resected due to pathological changes.
• The results from the different surgical methods did not significantly vary on studied parameters. However, there was a slight trend towards a higher death rate post discharge from the hospital when jejunocaecal anastomosis with residual mesenteric defect was compared to end-to-end jejunojejunal anastomosis with mesentery closure.
• The jejunocaecal anastomosis, regardless of whether it was performed with or without mesenteric closure, yielded inferior results compared to the jejunojejunal anastomosis procedure.

Additional research would be beneficial for determining the best surgical treatment for individual horses, taking into account the specifics of each case.