ABSTRACT
Postoperative Colic At various times in the postoperative period, horses that have undergone colic surgery may show recurrence of abdominal pain. This is particularly disheartening for the surgical team who were expecting a comfortable, pain-free horse. In a study of 341 horses undergoing colic surgery,1 32% of horses suffered one or more episodes of postoperative colic (Figure 33-1). Although the proportion of horses affected is high, only 5% of horses suffered 3 or more episodes. Most colic episodes occurred in the first year postoperatively, and many in the first 50 days after surgery (Figure 33-2). Horses that have undergone colic surgery have an incidence of colic of 0.55 episodes/horse year at risk, which is approximately 5 times higher than the prevalence reported for the general horse population.1
