Resection and anastomosis of the small colon in four horses.

The research paper discusses a surgical procedure performed on four horses with certain vascular anomalies or functional obstruction in the small colon. The procedure involved the removal and rejoining of the affected parts, using varying stitches and suture materials. Post-surgery, there were no complication related to the surgery or suturing materials, with all horses surviving over a year post-surgery.

Objective of the Research

• The study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a surgical procedure called ‘resection and anastomosis’ applied on four horses suffering from vascular lesions like lipoma, mesenteric tear, and dissecting hematoma, or a functional obstruction like stricture in the small colon.

Surgical Procedure

• The surgical procedure implemented in this study, resection and anastomosis, involves removing a diseased segment of the small colon (resection) and rejoining the healthy ends (anastomosis).
• Different types of suture materials were used in these procedures, placed in two layers. The initial pattern of suturing used was an appositional, full-thickness, simple, interrupted pattern.
• The first layer of stitches was then further secured by oversewing it with either a Cushing pattern (employed in three cases) or a Utrecht pattern (applied in one case).

Post-operative Results and Observations

• The study did not report any post-operative complications associated with either the surgical method or suture materials used.
• All four horses were discharged from the hospital and their health was monitored post-surgery.
• In a significant finding, all horses survived for more than a year after being discharged from the hospital, suggesting the effective nature of the surgical procedure and its execution.