Factors affecting incisional complication rates associated with colic surgery in horses: 78 cases (1983-1985).

This research article investigates the factors influencing the rates of incisional complications in horses undergoing surgery for colic, between 1983 and 1985. The study found that the suture pattern used in the linea alba was the only significant factor affecting the rate of incisional infection.

Study Design and Sample

• The study was conducted from May 1, 1983 to April 1, 1985 and spanned over 142 operations carried out on horses experiencing acute abdominal pain, colloquially referred to as colic.
• These surgeries were done through a ventral midline incision approach.
• Of these, 78 horses survived for a minimum of 15 days post-surgery or experienced acute dehiscence (a surgical complication where the wound ruptures along surgical suture). These horses were chosen for this investigation.
• Among the selected sample, 70 horses went through this procedure once while the remaining 8 horses underwent multiple operations.

Follow-Up and Complications Identified

• A six-month follow-up evaluation was conducted on 66 horses that had a single surgery and 6 horses that had multiple surgeries.
• The types of incisional complications that the horses experienced include infection and drainage, acute dehiscence, hernia, and suture sinus formation (a complication involving a tract formed by a foreign body, such as surgical suture material).

Study Variables and Findings

• The research examined the impact of several variables on the incidence of incisional complications, including:
  • The presence of preoperative peritoneal fluid.
  • Whether an enterotomy (surgical incision into the intestinal tract) or resection (surgical removal of all or part of an organ) was carried out.
  • The suture material and pattern used in the linea alba (the fibrous structure running down the midline of the abdomen).
  • The method of skin closure used.
  • The use of a sutured-on stent bandage (a bandage designed to prevent stress on the wound).
• The study discovered that the suture pattern used in the linea alba was the only variable that significantly affected the rate of incisional infection.
• The near-far-far-near suture pattern appeared to be associated with higher incisional infection rates than the simple interrupted pattern.
• This difference is statistically significant with a p-value less than 0.05, implying that this difference is not due to random chance.