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A retrospective study was performed on 100 horses with incarceration of the small intestine through the omental (epiploic) foramen at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University in Belgium during the period 1994-2001. Preoperative euthanasia was done in 10 horses for different reasons and an explorative laparotomy was performed in 90. Of these ninety horses, 1 died spontaneously during surgical intervention, 10 underwent euthanasia because of the extent of the lesions or a fatal hemorrhage, and surgery was completed on the other 79. A second intervention was necessary in 11 of these 79 horses. Simple reduction and reposition of the small intestine was possible in 35 of them, and a resection followed by an intestinal anastomosis was required in the other 44. Forty-four (49%) of the original 90 horses in which surgery was accomplished were discharged from the clinic. Six of these 44 were re-operated. The survival rate in the group of horses that under-went simple reduction was 60% and in the group that underwent resection and anastomosis it was 52%. After discharge from the clinic, 9 of the original 44 horses were lost for follow-up, and the remaining 3 5 survived for at least 9 months. During the follow-up period (I to 7 years), 16 horses had one or more bouts of colic, for which reason 5 of them (14%) underwent euthanasia. In this study the mean age of the horses with incarceration of the small intestine through the omental foramen was 9.46 years. Geldings, males and riding horses were clearly more represented. During surgical intervention a medio-lateral incarceration was observed in 98% of the horses. A negative correlation was observed between the survival rate and the length of the incarcerated intestinal segment, on the one hand, and between the survival rate and the distance to the clinic (duration after onset of symptoms) on the other.

In the period 1986-1994 a retrospective study was performed on 2,264 horses with colic at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Ghent University/Belgium. An exploratory laparotomy was performed in 1,069 horses. In this study the observed pathological conditions in the different parts of the gastrointestinal tract are thoroughly discussed in depth. The origin of colic symptoms was determined by rectal examination or exploratory laparotomy: it was localized in the ascending colon in 31% of the horses and in the small intestine in 25% of them. Less frequently observed localizations were the caecum (8%), the descending colon (3%), the stomach (3%) and the rectum (1%). The localization of colic pathology could not or not exactly be determined in 28% of the cases. Short time survival rates were used. The overall survival rate of conservative and surgical treatment of horses with pathology of the descending colon and pathology of the caecum and/or ascending colon was respectively 80% and 75%. The survival rate of horses with pathology of the small intestine, the rectum and the stomach was less favorable: 54%, 35% and 32% respectively. The risk of developing colic was statistically analyzed according to breed, gender and age. Foals less than I year old ran a significantly higher risk of small intestinal volvulus. Geldings and Warmblood horses had a higher incidence of incarceration through the foramen omentale (epiploicon), whereas females and foals had a lower incidence. An inguinal hernia was significantly more often observed in foals and stallions, and significantly less in mares and geldings. Horses aged 9-12 years showed a higher risk of caecal tympany, whereas ponies, males, foals and horses aged 1-4 years ran an increased risk of (ileo)caecal intussusception. Mares and horses aged 1-4 or 5-8 years had a higher incidence of pelvic flexure impaction. The incidence of right colonic displacement was lower in males and foals. Older horses and mares were at significantly greater risk of developing a colon torsion. A higher incidence of left dorsal displacement was observed in geldings and a lower incidence in females.