Use of gastrotomy to relieve esophageal obstruction in a horse.

This research focuses on a successful procedure to relieve a longstanding esophageal obstruction in a horse. The process involved undertaking a gastrotomy, a surgical procedure on the stomach, to manually break down and remove the obstruction.

Introduction

• The study presents a case of a male horse (gelding) that was diagnosed with an esophageal obstruction. The blockage had lasted for about a week and was diagnosed using contrast radiography and esophagoscopy.

Location and Nature of the Obstruction

• Upon careful examination, a food bolus, which is a mass of chewed food, was detected right at the junction of the caudal thoracic section of the esophagus and the cardia. The cardia marks the border between the esophagus and the stomach.
• The obstruction was named a phytobezoar. This is a technical term referring to a trapped mass in the digestive system that is mainly composed of indigestible plant material.

Procedure for Relief

• To help relieve the horse of this obstruction, a procedure known as a gastrotomy was performed. This operation involves making an incision in the stomach to access the internal parts.
• The surgery required a cranial abdominal incision, which means the cut was made at the upper end of the abdomen. The phytobezoar was then manually broken down and removed.

Post-operative Care and Long-Term Outcome

• After the successful surgery, the gelding was started on a diet of complete pellet food and water on the fifth day post-op.
• Remarkably, the horse remained clinically normal over a year after the surgery, demonstrating the effectiveness of the gastrotomy procedure in managing esophageal obstructions in horses.