ABSTRACT
Evidence is growing that survival rates after small-intestinal surgery in horses are improving1-6 compared with rates in earlier reports.7 The most common causes of death during hospitalization in large retrospective studies of horses with smallintestinal lesions were anastomotic leakage,7 septic peritonitis,3,8 postoperative ileus,6 and shock.9 Adhesions are reported to account for most long-term deaths,2,7,8 with a prevalence of 6 to 26% after small-intestinal surgery,2,5,7,10 although this is apparently a decline.2,5,7,10 The reason for improvement in outcome lies largely with a trend to earlier referral, so that horses with colic are presented as better candidates for anesthesia and surgery.
