Surgical treatment of epiploic foramen entrapment in 142 horses (2008-2016).

The research paper analyzes the clinical features, outcomes and prognostic factors pertaining to the surgical treatment of Epiploic Foramen Entrapment (EFE), a condition affecting horses. It observes the correlation between the treatment and factors such as postoperative reflux, relaparotomy, survival after hospital discharge, amongst others.

Objective and Methodology

• The study is a retrospective one, conducted at a single referral hospital, targeting the surgical treatment of Epiploic Foramen Entrapment (EFE) on 142 horses.
• For the purposes of the study, preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data were gathered for horses that underwent exploratory laparotomy.
• The researchers determined the postoperative outcome by executing follow-up telephone calls with the owners/caregivers of the horses.

Results

• The study found that 145 surgeries were performed on 142 horses, indicating a recurrence rate of 3%.
• 85% of the horses involved in the surgeries were Warmblood horses and 60% of the surgical cases confirmed Windsucking and/or crib-biting behavior.
• All the horses diagnosed showed a left-to-right entrapment and ileal involvement was recorded in 74% of cases.
• The surgery encountered cases of uncontrollable intraoperative hemorrhage in 6% of surgeries.
• Approximately 74% of horses recovered from surgery and 65% of those later survived to be discharged. The overall survival rate of surgeries was 48%, while the median survival rate of discharged cases exceeded 3193 days.

Prognostic associations

• The study noted that horses requiring an intestinal resection were prone to postoperative reflux (POR). Furthermore, those undergoing jejunoileostomy were more likely to encounter POR than those undergoing jejunojejunostomy.
• It was also found that horses with POR were less likely to be discharged than those without POR and that horses undergoing resection had a shorter life expectancy after hospital discharge compared to those who did not.

Conclusions

• EFE surgeries reported cases of high morbidity and mortality.
• The research emphasizes that owners of horses with EFE must be apprised of the associated guarded prognosis of existing surgical treatment.