Removal of a fragmented nasogastric tube from the transverse colon of a horse undergoing exploratory celiotomy for colic

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Nasogastric Tube Fragmentation and Colonic Impaction in an Equine Colic Case A 5-year-old Warmblood gelding with a history of recurrent colic and gastric ulceration presented with acute abdominal pain unresponsive to medical management, necessitating exploratory celiotomy. During surgery, Guerra and Kilcoyne identified a focal impaction in the transverse colon caused by approximately 1 metre of fragmented nasogastric tube material—a rare but potentially devastating complication of routine nasogastric intubation. Successful removal of the foreign body via enterotomy in the left dorsal colon resulted in complete post-operative recovery without complications. This case highlights the importance of careful nasogastric tube handling, inspection for integrity prior to use, and heightened vigilance in horses with previous gastric pathology or recurrent colic, as tube fragmentation may go undetected during the initial episode and migrate distally to cause secondary impaction. For practitioners managing horses with chronic gastric disease requiring repeated intubation, consideration should be given to assessing tube condition regularly and documenting any signs of deterioration before clinical complications demand emergency surgical intervention.

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Key Findings

• •A 1-metre segment of nasogastric tube caused colonic impaction in a horse with prior colic history
• •Exploratory laparotomy successfully identified and removed the fragmented tube via left dorsal colon enterotomy
• •Horse recovered without post-operative complications

Conditions Studied