Use of a hydro-pool system to recover horses after general anesthesia: 60 cases.
Abstract: To report complications observed using a hydro-pool recovery system after general anesthesia in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Sixty horses. Methods: Retrospective review of the medical records and quality of recovery from anesthesia of 60 horses that had surgical or diagnostic procedures under general anesthesia. Results: Mean total anesthesia time was 182 minutes (range, 25 to 390 minutes). Mean time in the hydro-pool was 108 minutes (range, 20 to 270 minutes). One horse that had bilateral rear limb extensor weakness while recovering in a padded recovery stall was moved to the hydro-pool and maintained for 12 hours. Ten horses developed some pulmonary edema; in 3 horses, the signs of pulmonary edema were severe; and 1 horse died from related complications. One horse developed septic arthritis of an operated stifle joint, and 2 horses developed incisional infections. Two horses incurred multiple skin abrasions on the distal aspect of their limbs during violent attempts to leave the pool. Conclusions: A hydro-pool system was useful for recovering horses from general anesthesia when difficult recoveries were anticipated because of the horse's injury, size, demeanor, duration of anesthesia, or risk of further injury. Recovery using the hydro-pool was more time and labor intensive than a standard stall recovery. Pulmonary edema that required treatment was a serious complication that occurred in 17% of the horses. Careful closure of the skin with cyanoacrylate glue and pressure from bandages were used to prevent postoperative incisional infections. Conclusions: A hydro-pool system is a useful method for recovering horses from general anesthesia when difficult recoveries are anticipated.
Copyright 2002 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Publication Date: 2002-09-05 PubMed ID: 12209416DOI: 10.1053/jvet.2002.34662Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article investigates the complications encountered while using a hydro-pool system for recovering horses following general anesthesia. It primarily emphasizes the utility, benefits, and drawbacks of the recovery method based on a study involving 60 horses.
Methods Employed
- The study is retrospective in nature, utilizing the past medical records and recovery data of 60 horses that underwent surgical or diagnostic procedures under general anesthesia.
- Details such as total anesthesia time and duration spent in the hydro-pool were noted. The range of these durations varied from case to case.
Findings and Results
- The mean total anesthesia time for the horses was 182 minutes, ranging between 25 to 390 minutes.
- On an average, the time spent in the hydro-pool by the horses was 108 minutes, the span ranging from 20 to 270 minutes.
- There was an instance of a horse that exhibited weakness in the rear limbs. This horse was moved to the hydro-pool for a duration of 12 hours to aid in its recovery.
- Some complications were observed – pulmonary edema (water in the lungs) was seen in 10 horses, which was severe in 3 cases and fatal in 1. Other issues were septic arthritis of an operated joint, and multiple skin abrasions on the limbs during violent attempts to leave the pool.
Conclusions and Implications
- The hydro-pool system proved to be a useful tool for equine recovery after surgery, especially in cases where recovery was predicted to be challenging due to various factors like horse’s injury, size, demeanor, anesthesia duration, or risk of further injury.
- However, the method was found to be resource-consuming in terms of time and labor than recovery in a standard stall.
- Pulmonary edema was a significant complication observed in 17% of studied cases, necessitating the requirement for treatment.
- To prevent postoperative incisional infections, careful skin closure was recommended with the use of cyanoacrylate glue and pressure from bandages.
- Overall, the research advocates for the hydro-pool method of recovery but also emphasizes the importance of being aware of possible complications and the investment of time and labor.
Cite This Article
APA
Tidwell SA, Schneider RK, Ragle CA, Weil AB, Richter MC.
(2002).
Use of a hydro-pool system to recover horses after general anesthesia: 60 cases.
Vet Surg, 31(5), 455-461.
https://doi.org/10.1053/jvet.2002.34662 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7060, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Anesthesia Recovery Period
- Anesthesia, General / veterinary
- Animals
- Breeding
- Female
- Horses / injuries
- Horses / physiology
- Horses / surgery
- Immersion
- Male
- Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
- Postoperative Complications / prevention & control
- Postoperative Complications / veterinary
- Pulmonary Edema / veterinary
- Records / veterinary
- Retrospective Studies
- Surgical Wound Infection / veterinary
- Time Factors
- Washington / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Vandaele Z, Van den Broeke C, Merchiers A, Schauvliege S. The Use of an Air-Inflated Pillow for Assisted Recovery After General Anaesthesia in Horses: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel) 2025 Feb 15;15(4).
- Lindqvist A, Nyman G, Rydén A, Wattle O. Effect of an adjustable ceiling to prevent premature rising attempts after general anesthesia in healthy ponies and horses: A pilot study. Vet Surg 2025 Jul;54(5):851-859.
- Gozalo-Marcilla M, Ringer SK. Recovery after General Anaesthesia in Adult Horses: A Structured Summary of the Literature. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 14;11(6).
- Niimura Del Barrio MC, David F, Hughes JML, Clifford D, Wilderjans H, Bennett R. A retrospective report (2003-2013) of the complications associated with the use of a one-man (head and tail) rope recovery system in horses following general anaesthesia. Ir Vet J 2018;71:6.
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