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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(6); 1107; doi: 10.3390/ani13061107

Short-Term Survival and Postoperative Complications Rates in Horses Undergoing Colic Surgery: A Multicentre Study.

Abstract: The occurrence of colic could be influenced by the characteristics of a population, geographical area, and feeding management. The aim of this study was to report the short-term postoperative complications and survival rates and to identify factors that might affect the outcome of horses that underwent colic surgery in three Italian surgical referral centres. Data of horses subjected to colic surgery in three referral centres (2018-2021) were analysed. Comparisons of the outcomes were performed using a Mann-Whitney or a Chi square test. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used for parameters that were significant in the previous univariate analysis. The goodness-of-fit of the model was assessed using the Akike information criterion (AIC). Significance was defined as < 0.05, and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated as percentages. A total of 451 horses were included. The survival rate was 68.5% of all of the horses that underwent colic surgery and 80% of the horses surviving anaesthesia. Age, BCS, PCV and TPP before and after surgery, amount of reflux, type of disease, type of lesion, duration of surgery, surgeon's experience, and amount of intra- and postoperative fluids administered influenced the probability of short-term survival. The multivariate analysis revealed that PCV at arrival, TPP after surgery, and BCS had the highest predictive power. This is the first multicentre study in Italy. The results of this study may help surgeons to inform owners regarding the prognosis of colic surgery.
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Publication Date: 2023-03-20 PubMed ID: 36978647PubMed Central: PMC10044551DOI: 10.3390/ani13061107Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study reports on the short-term postoperative complications and survival rates of horses undergoing colic surgery in three Italian surgical referral centres, looking for factors that could impact the outcome. The factors found to influence survival rates included the horse’s age, body condition score, packed cell volume and total protein percentage before and after surgery, amount of reflux, type of disease and lesion, duration of surgery, surgeon’s experience, and amounts of fluids administered during and after the operation.

Study Methodology

  • Data was collected from horses that underwent colic surgery in three Italian referral centres between 2018 and 2021.
  • A number of statistical tests were used in analyzing this data, including Mann-Whitney or Chi square tests for comparing outcomes.
  • Significant parameters from an initial univariate analysis were further analyzed using areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and a multivariable logistic regression.
  • The suitability of the statistical model was evaluated using the Akike Information Criterion (AIC).
  • Significance in results was determined as a p-value of less than 0.05, and odds ratios along with 95% confidence intervals were converted into percentages for interpretation.

Findings and Results

  • In total, data from 451 horses was analysed.
  • The short-term survival rate was found to be 68.5% for all horses undergoing colic surgery, and 80% for the horses which survived anaesthesia.
  • A number of factors were found to influence the likelihood of short-term survival, such as the horse’s age, body condition score (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV) and total protein percentage (TPP) both before and after the surgery, the amount of reflux, the type of disease and lesion, the length of surgery, the surgeon’s experience, and the amount of fluids given during and after surgery.
  • The most predictive factors determined through a multivariate analysis were the PCV at arrival, TPP after the surgery, and BCS.

Significance and Application of the Research

  • This research marks the first multicentre study for colic surgery outcomes in Italy.
  • The findings can assist vets in providing owners with informed prognosis following colic surgery.
  • Further research and data collection can refine the identified factors impacting survival post-surgery, contributing to improved veterinary practices in the future.

Cite This Article

APA
Spadari A, Gialletti R, Gandini M, Valle E, Cerullo A, Cavallini D, Bertoletti A, Rinnovati R, Forni G, Scilimati N, Giusto G. (2023). Short-Term Survival and Postoperative Complications Rates in Horses Undergoing Colic Surgery: A Multicentre Study. Animals (Basel), 13(6), 1107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13061107

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 6
PII: 1107

Researcher Affiliations

Spadari, Alessandro
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
Gialletti, Rodolfo
  • Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
Gandini, Marco
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Valle, Emanuela
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Cerullo, Anna
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
Cavallini, Damiano
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
Bertoletti, Alice
  • Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
Rinnovati, Riccardo
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
Forni, Giulia
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
Scilimati, Nicola
  • Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
Giusto, Gessica
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Lu H, Zhang W, Sun S, Mei Y, Zhao G, Yang K. Effect of Supplementary Feeding on Milk Volume, Milk Composition, Blood Biochemical Index, and Fecal Microflora Diversity in Grazing Yili Mares.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jul 26;13(15).
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  2. Rockow M, Griffenhagen G, Landolt G, Hendrickson D, Pezzanite L. Current Antimicrobial Use in Horses Undergoing Exploratory Celiotomy: A Survey of Board-Certified Equine Specialists.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 22;13(9).
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