LAPAROSCOPIC COLOPEXY IN HORSES

Objective-To describe a technique for laparoscopic colopexy in horses. Study Design-Description of a technique to perform laparoscopic colop exy in horses. Animals-Six healthy adult horses between 3 and 23 years of age and weighing between 440 and 636 kg. Methods-Horses were posit ioned in dorsal recumbency, and the abdomen was insufflated to an intr aabdominal pressure of 15 mm Hg. A laparoscope portal was placed at th e umbilicus, and instrument portals were placed cranial to the laparos cope and lateral to midline. The lateral taenia of the left ventral co lon was laparoscopically identified and retracted with Babcock forceps to the peritoneal surface and sutured with two strands of size 2 mono filament nylon in a continuous pattern via laparoscopic observation. A ll horses were euthanatized 90 days after surgery, and the colopexy ad hesion was examined histologically. Results-Laparoscopic colopexy was successful in all six horses. There were no intraoperative or postoper ative complications. Initial abdominal insufflation to 15 mm Hg requir ed an average of 38 L (range 32 to 46 L) of carbon dioxide and 9.8 min utes (range 9 to 11 minutes) to be completed. A total of 132 L of carb on dioxide (range 64 to 196 L) was needed for the entire procedure. Th e laparoscopic colopexy procedure required 95 minutes (range 60 to 142 minutes) to perform. Laparoscopic colopexy resulted in a firm, fibrou s adhesion of the colon to the abdominal tunic. Microscopically the co lopexy adhesion was mature fibrous tissue with no evidence of inflamma tion. Conclusions-Laparoscopic colopexy can be successfully performed in horses with minimal abdominal invasion. (C) Copyright 1998 by The A merican College of Veterinary Surgeons.