A retrospective analysis of the risk factors for surgical site infections and long-term follow-up after transpalpebral enucleation in horses.

Authors: Huppes Tsjester, Hermans Hanneke, Ensink Jos M

Journal: BMC veterinary research

DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1069-5 PubMed: 28578668Log in to save

Summary

# Editorial Summary Surgical site infections (SSIs) following transpalpebral enucleation in horses frequently result in loss of cosmetic implants, yet the specific risk factors driving these complications remain poorly characterised in the equine literature. This retrospective analysis examined clinical records from 2007–2014 and conducted telephone follow-up interviews to identify associations between surgical variables (indication for enucleation, implant use, standing versus recumbent procedures, operative duration, conjunctival sac opening, and antimicrobial protocol) and SSI development, stratifying cases by indication into clean procedures (recurrent uveitis, globe size abnormalities, intraocular tumours), non-clean procedures (corneal perforation or infected ulcers), and extraocular tumour cases. Beyond infection rates, the study tracked long-term cosmetic outcomes and return-to-work status to provide a complete picture of clinical success. Key findings should guide perioperative decision-making around implant placement timing, antimicrobial selection, and patient counselling regarding realistic functional recovery. For practitioners managing enucleation cases, understanding which procedural factors independently elevate SSI risk enables more informed case selection and may improve both infection rates and client satisfaction with cosmetic and athletic outcomes.

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Practical Takeaways

•Understand that SSI risk varies by indication category (clean, non-clean, tumour) and implant use — inform clients of infection risk before surgery and manage antimicrobial protocols accordingly
•Plan for potential implant loss in non-clean cases and discuss cosmetic expectations with owners before proceeding with surgery
•Track long-term outcomes including return to work and cosmetic appearance to guide future case selection and surgical planning

Key Findings

•Retrospective analysis identified risk factors for surgical site infections (SSI) following transpalpebral enucleation in horses across three clinical indication groups
•Use of implants, surgical procedure characteristics, and indication category were evaluated for association with SSI occurrence
•Long-term follow-up data collected via telephone interviews assessed cosmetic outcomes and return to work post-enucleation

Conditions Studied

surgical site infections after enucleationequine recurrent uveitisintraocular tumourscorneal perforation/ruptureinfected corneal ulcersextraocular tumours

Related References

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