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Left dorsal displacement of the colon with splenic adhesions in three horses
H D Moll1, J Schumacher, R M Dabareiner
1Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital, Ocala, FL 32674.
Insights
Previous abdominal surgery in horses can lead to splenic adhesions. These adhesions may complicate the treatment of left dorsal displacement of the large colon, a common colic issue.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Surgery
- Equine Medicine
- Gastrointestinal Surgery
Background:
- Exploratory celiotomy is a surgical procedure to diagnose and treat acute abdominal pain in horses.
- Left dorsal displacement of the large colon is a common cause of colic in horses.
- Horses with colic may have a history of previous abdominal surgeries.
Observation:
- Three horses with acute abdominal pain were diagnosed with left dorsal displacement of the large colon during exploratory celiotomy.
- All three horses had fibrous adhesions between the spleen and the body wall.
- These adhesions were a complication from previous abdominal surgeries for colic.
Findings:
- The left large colon displaced cranially and entered the renosplenic space from a cranial to caudal direction.
- Fibrous adhesions of the spleen to the body wall prevented the correction of left dorsal displacement of the large colon using the rolling technique.
Implications:
- Splenic adhesions can pose a significant surgical challenge in equine colic cases.
- Understanding the impact of adhesions is crucial for surgical planning and prognosis in horses with recurrent colic.
- This highlights the importance of considering surgical history when diagnosing and treating large colon displacements.
Abstract:
Three horses underwent exploratory celiotomy because of signs of acute abdominal pain. At surgery, all horses were diagnosed as having left dorsal displacement of the large colon. Each surgery was complicated by fibrous adhesions of the spleen to the body wall. All horses had previously undergone abdominal surgery for colic. In these cases, it appeared that the left large colon displaced cranially and then entered the renosplenic space from a cranial to caudal direction. Adhesions of the spleen to the body wall would prevent correction of left dorsal displacement of the large colon by the rolling technique.