Benefits of the LigaSure include no foreign material remaining in the abdomen and minimal to no need for surgical dissection before application. The LigaSure eliminates complications with potential ligature slippage and bleeding during dissection.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) secondary to colic was diagnosed in 23 horses. Each horse was categorized retrospectively as to the cause of the colic based on surgical and/or necropsy findings: group 1 consisted of 14 horses with compromised intestine that required resection and anastomosis; group 2 consisted of 3 horses with nonstrangulating intestinal displacement and/or impactions; and group 3 consisted of 6 horses with colic associated with enteritis and/or colitis. Horses were considered to be affected with DIC if at least three of five hemostatic parameters were significantly abnormal: decreased antithrombin 111 (AT 111) values, increased level of fibrin degradation products (FDP), thrombocytopenia, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, and prolonged prothrombin time. The most consistent hemostatic abnormalities were decreased AT 111 activity, increased FDP titers, and thrombocytopenia. Clotting times were more variable and did not always correlate with the presence of excessive hemorrhage. Excessive hemorrhage was present during surgery in seven horses and occurred within 1 to 12 hours after surgery in nine other horses. In addition to treatment of the primary disease, 19 horses received treatment for DIC consisting of heparin and/or plasma or fresh whole blood transfusions. Heparin alone was used in 12 horses. Heparin, in addition to fresh whole blood transfusions or fresh plasma, was administered to four horses. Three horses were treated with plasma alone. Four other horses were not treated specifically for the DIC. Eight horses (34%) survived the acute coagulopathy. Although a greater proportion of the surviving horses received heparin therapy (87.5%; 7/8) than did those that died (60%; 9/15), the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.345). Of 1487 horses presented to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center for colic during a 5-year period, clotting profiles were submitted from 52 horses (3.5%) presumed to be affected with DIC. Twenty-three of these 52 horses fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of DIC. Of 23 horses with DIC, 22 (95.6%) were detected among 517 colic cases requiring surgical intervention. Significantly (P < 0.001) more horses were diagnosed as having DIC among cases of colic requiring surgery for small intestinal lesions (9.6%; 17/177) than among horses with lesions involving other portions of the gastrointestinal tract (1.8%; 6/340). Significantly (P < 0.001) more cases of DIC were detected among horses with devitalized intestine requiring resection and anastomosis (18.6%; 14/75), than among horses in which intestinal resection was not required (2.0%; 9/433). Among those horses with devitalized bowel, no significant difference (P = 0.686) was observed between small intestinal (17.4%; 11/63) or large intestinal lesions (25%; 3/12). Survival rate was 33% in groups 1 and 3, and 67% in group 2. (Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 1992; 6~29-35)

Performing surgery through a frontonasal bone flap with the horse standing and sedated, rather than anesthetized, eliminates risks and expense of general anesthesia.

Right dorsal colitis in horses has been associated with administration of phenylbutazone. Although reports of right dorsal colitis in this species have described surgical treatment associated with a poor prognosis, we have had success treating this condition medically. This report describes 5 horses with right dorsal colitis confirmed during celiotomy that were initially managed medically. All horses had a history of intermittent abdominal pain; weight loss was noted in only 1 horse. The doses (2.0 to 4.6 mg/kg PO bid) and duration (5 to 30 days) of administration of phenylbutazone were not unusually high relative to those recommended (4.4 mg/kg PO bid). Hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia were observed in all horses at the time of admission; packed cell volume was low in 4 horses, and hypocalcemia was also observed in 4 horses. Three ight dorsal colitis has been experimentally and clini-R cally associated with administration of phenylbutazone to horses.'" Clinical signs associated with right dorsal colitis include anorexia? weight loss, intermittent or sporadic episodes of acute abdominal pain, and diarrhea.'-3 Surgical treatment is advocated in prior reports; however, the prognosis for affected horses is poor.'" At the Texas Veterinary Medical Center (TVMC), some horses with right dorsal colitis identified during celiotomy have been managed medically. The purpose of this retrospective study is to review the signalment, history, physical examination, clinicopathologic findings, and response of treatment in horses with right dorsal colitis managed medically. Materials and MethodsAll horses with right dorsal colitis managed medically at the TVMC between January I , 1985, and December 31, 1993, were included in the study. Five horses were identified by reviewing the medical records. All horses were used for athletic performance. The diagnosis of right dorsal colitis was made on the basis of surgical findings in 4 horses and at necropsy in 1 horse. Diagnosis of right dorsal colitis was based on gross findings of marked edema, thickening, or reduction in diameter of the intestinal tract restricted to the right dorsal colon. In each case, other gross intestinal lesions were absent, and the cause of abdominal pain was attributed to abnormalities of the right dorsal colon. Horses that had right dorsal colitis, but that were not managed medically, and horses that had other visible intestinal abnormalities accompanying right dorsal colitis were excluded from the study.The medical record of each horse was reviewed to abstract the following information: ( I ) date of admission; (2) gender; ( 5 ) character and duration of clinical signs prior to admission; (6) history and duration of treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); (7) history of training and performance; (8) hematologic and serum biochemical data obtained at the time of admission; (9) results of cytological and biochemical analysis of peritoneal fluid obtained at the time of admission; (10) results of microbiologic culture of feces during hosp...

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