Kersjes A W, Bras G E, Németh F, van der Velden M A, Firth E C
Department of General and Large Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Vet Q. 1988 Jan;10(1):17-25. doi: 10.1080/01652176.1988.9694141.
This retrospective study presents the results of surgical treatment of obstructive colic in horses operated in the last decade (1976-1985). The overall short-term recovery rate (i.e. discharged from hospital) was 51% of cases presented for surgery, and 68% of cases which were considered to be amenable to surgical therapy. For long-term results (6 months-8 years follow up) these percentages must be reduced by about 15% due to mortality after discharge. Special attention has been given to surgery of the ileum, which is often involved in strangulation or obturation, and accounts for about 26% of gastrointestinal surgical disorders. The long-term recovery rate of ileal surgery was 54.3%, but ileocaecal intussusception and jejunocaecostomy with resection have a much poorer prognosis. The results of this study indicate that resection of the ileum should be avoided unless necrosis is present or threatening. The alternative is creation of a shunt between (distal) jejunum and caecum, thus bypassing the ileum and ileocaecal junction and preserving the original anatomical relationships.
