Surgical lesions of the small colon and post operative survival in a UK hospital population.

The study explores the types of surgical lesions in horses, where issues related to the small colon resulted in abdominal pain. It also investigates the short- and long-term survival of these cases and identifies factors influencing survival. The researchers observed that small colon surgeries have good survival rates. However, surgeries involving resection and anastomosis were associated with reduced long-term survival.

Research Design

The researchers have convered three primary objectives in this study:

• Identify the types of surgical lesions in horses suffering from gut pain primarily caused by the small colon (descending colon).
• Analyse the short-term and long-term survival rates following surgeries and identify factors influencing these survival rates.
• Identify preoperative variables influencing the localization of a lesion to the small colon.

The study was based on clinical data and long-term follow-up of horses that underwent exploratory laparotomy – surgery where the abdomen is opened and the abdominal organs are examined – over a span of ten years.

Findings

The study involved 84 horses, and the survival percentages post-surgery were 91% until discharge, 81% after one year, and 73.5% after two years. Resection surgeries had a median survival time of 1029 days compared to 3072 days in non-resection cases.

• The research indicated that horses with small colon issues were likely to show longer colic signs before hospital admission.
• Post-surgery, these horses were also found more likely to develop diarrhoea when compared with control horses that underwent surgery for colic issues unrelated to the small colon.

Conclusions and Implications

A key takeaway from the study is that surgeries for small colon lesions generally yield good survival rates. However, it was found that surgeries involving resection and anastomosis led to reduced long-term survival. The study’s findings can help to provide information when making decisions about the surgical management of horses with small colon lesions. Overall, this research contributes valuable insights into the surgical management, expected survival rates, and potential complications of horses with small colon conditions.