Short-term outcome and risk factors for post-operative complications following umbilical resection in 82 foals (2004-2016).

This research attempted to identify risk factors associated with post-operative complications in foals who had surgery to remove infected or patent umbilical remnants, based on a case series from the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center spanning from 2004 to 2016.

Study Methods

• The researchers undertook a retrospective case study where they analyzed medical records of foals who had undergone umbilical remnant resection due to patent urachus or infected remnants.
• This data collection spanned a period of 12 years from 2004 to 2016 at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.
• Factors related to pre or intraoperative clinical variables were studied and their associations with outcomes and post-operative complications were assessed using bivariable and multivariable analyses.

Study Findings

• Of the 82 foals who underwent the surgical procedure, 73 (which accounts for 89.0%) survived to discharge. The urachus was the most commonly affected structure, being patent and/or infected in 84.1% of cases.
• Concurrent diseases were present in 60.6% of foals prior to surgery with diarrhoea and septic arthritis being the most common.
• The presence of preoperative septic arthritis and/or physitis were significantly associated with non-survival. Specifically, these conditions increased the risk of non-survival by 33 times.
• Longer anesthesia time and failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins also increased the odds of post-operative complications.

Conclusions

• The researchers concluded that the overall survival rate is high after surgical excision of umbilical remnants.
• However, they found that preoperative septic arthritis and/or physitis was associated with decreased survival rates, and failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins and longer anesthesia times were associated with an increased likelihood of post-operative complications.
• The research concluded that it is unknown if medical treatment alone would have been successful in foals that did not receive preoperative medical treatment.

Using this information, equine veterinary practitioners can make informed predictions about patient prognosis, informing owners and establishing suitable care plans for pre and post-operative conditions in foals.