Surgical drainage and post operative lavage of large abdominal abscesses in six mature horses.

This research article presents a study on six mature horses that had large abdominal abscesses and were treated through surgical drainage and post-operative washing. The research found that this treatment was successful in the majority of the cases, although two horses had to be euthanized due to recurrent or continuous colic.

Study Design and Subjects

• The research focused on six mature horses that had large abdominal abscesses, a condition defined by the presence of an abscess larger than 15 to 20 cm in at least one of its dimensions.
• In one of the horses, the abscess was associated with previous intestinal surgery, while the remaining five had abscesses resulting from a Streptococcus equi spp. equi infection.

Surgical Treatment and Postoperative Care

• A Foley catheter was used to drain and wash the abscess in all of the cases.
• In five of the cases, the abscess was accessed by a ventral midline laparotomy, which involves making an incision along the central line of the abdomen.
• In one case, the abscess was accessed through standing flank laparoscopy, an alternate surgical procedure where a small incision is made on the side of the abdomen for the insertion of a laparoscope.
• After the surgery, the treated horses were managed with postoperative antibacterial therapy until their plasma fibrinogen concentration returned to normal levels, which took a median of 47 days. The abscesses were washed continuously, with a median lavage duration of 19 days.

Post-treatment Outcomes

• Two horses had to be euthanized within seven days due to persistent or recurring colic, a common, painful digestive disorder in horses.
• The other four horses survived and were alive at the time of follow-up, which was carried out at a median of 1.8 years after the surgical treatment.
• Of these surviving horses, two had suffered one or more bouts of colic that had been managed successfully with medical treatment.