Surgical management of uterine torsion in the mare: a review of 26 cases.

The research article discusses the diagnosis and surgical treatment of uterine torsion in 26 mares, with a significant percentage of foals surviving after the procedure.

Introduction and Research Context

• The researchers investigated the prevalence of uterine torsion — a condition where the mare’s uterus twists — among various breeds of mares.
• The mares included in the study were typically about 9.6 months into their gestation period.
• The most common symptom reported in these mares was intermittent, prolonged colic that failed to respond to treatment.

Diagnosis and Surgical Intervention

• The diagnosis of uterine torsion was confirmed using rectal palpation, a procedure where the veterinarian inserts a gloved hand into the mare’s rectum to feel for anatomical anomalies.
• Once the diagnosis was confirmed, most cases were treated with a standing flank laparotomy. This procedure involves the mare standing while the surgeon makes an incision through the abdominal wall to access the uterus.
• The surgeon then manually repositioned the twisted uterus.
• In cases where the mare was intractable, the uterus was ruptured, or a hysterotomy (an incision into the uterus) was indicated, a recumbent laparotomy was performed. This procedure involves the mare lying down during surgery.

Post-surgery Analysis and Results

• The research team found that of the 20 foals confirmed to be alive during the surgical procedure, 70% (14 foals) were later born alive.
• The survival rate indicates a substantial level of success for the surgical treatment of uterine torsion in gravid (pregnant) mares, and provides valuable information for surgical intervention and prognosis for future cases.