A single‐centre retrospective study of surgical site infection following equine colic surgery (2013‒2021)
Authors: Theunis Steyn Griessel, J. A. Munoz Moran, C. Byaruhanga, Yolandi Smit
Journal: The Veterinary Record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Surgical Site Infection Following Equine Colic Surgery Surgical site infection remains a substantial concern after exploratory laparotomy in horses, with significant implications for recovery time, treatment costs and animal welfare. Griessel and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of 143 colic surgery cases at a single teaching hospital between 2013 and 2021, defining SSI as any purulent or serous discharge persisting beyond 24 hours during hospitalisation and examining pre-, intra- and postoperative variables through multivariable logistic regression. The study found that just over one-quarter of horses (26.6%) developed an SSI, yet identified one modifiable protective factor: application of a postoperative abdominal bandage reduced the likelihood of infection by approximately 71% (odds ratio 0.29). For practitioners managing post-colic surgery recovery, this finding offers a practical, low-cost intervention that may meaningfully reduce morbidity—though the single-centre design limits broader generalisability, and the protective mechanism warrants further investigation to determine whether benefit stems from reduced contamination, improved drainage, enhanced blood supply or other biological effects. Additional prospective, multi-centre studies would strengthen confidence in implementing abdominal bandaging as routine postoperative protocol across surgical facilities.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Routinely apply postoperative abdominal bandages to horses after colic surgery, as this simple intervention reduces SSI risk by approximately 71%
- •Accept that SSI remains a common complication affecting roughly 1 in 4 colic surgery patients, warranting diligent postoperative monitoring and wound care
- •Be aware that single-centre data has limited generalisability; local prevalence and risk factors at your facility may differ from these findings
Key Findings
- •SSI occurred in 26.6% (38/143) of horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for colic over the 8-year study period
- •Application of a postoperative abdominal bandage significantly reduced SSI likelihood (odds ratio = 0.29, p = 0.026)
- •Multiple pre-, intra-, and postoperative risk factors were investigated though only abdominal bandaging showed statistical significance in multivariable analysis