Entrapment of the small colon through a mesocolic rent in a mare.

The study is about a 6-year-old mare that displayed severe abdominal pain, unresponsive to painkillers. Upon performing an exploratory laparotomy, the horse was found to have its small colon trapped through a 12 cm rupture in the mesocolon. The trapped colon was manually adjusted and the rupture was sutured. After four days of recovery, the mare was discharged from the hospital.

About the mare and its symptoms

• The subject of this study is a 6-year old mare that exhibited severe abdominal pain that did not seem to subside with the administration of analgesic medications.
• This resistance to pain relief prompted the veterinary team to further investigate the cause of the distress, leading them to perform an exploratory laparotomy – a surgical procedure used to examine the abdominal organs.

Findings from the laparotomy

• The exploratory laparotomy revealed that the mare’s small colon was trapped (entrapment) in a 12 cm tear (referred to as a ‘rent’ in the study) in the mesocolon, which is an integral part of the intestine that aids in suspending and storing the colon.
• The cause of this tear remained unknown but it seemed to be chronic, suggesting it had been present for quite a while.

The procedure and recovery

• The trapped small colon was adjusted manually, freeing it from the ruptured mesocolon.
• Subsequently, the 12 cm tear in the mesocolon was sutured closed to prevent any future complications.
• This combination of manual reduction and suturing made up the primary treatment process for the mare.
• The mare showed excellent signs of recovery after the operation and was discharged from the hospital four days later, highlighting the success of the executed treatment strategy.