Commentary
Surgical site infections are a major concern regardless of the species. There are myriad articles and studies of specific surgery types and conditions. Surgery suite sanitation and infection control papers add more content to libraries.
Estimates suggest that four percent to 10 percent of horses will experience colic at least once in their lifetimes. Although the majority of them can be successfully treated on the farm, approximately 10 percent require referral for advanced care, including surgery <Link>. Understanding the risks of infection is paramount to surgery success.
A study from the University of Liverpool in England suggests that bacteria may not always be to blame for surgical site infections after a colic surgery. The researchers found that the presence of bacteria on the skin taken from the midline during or immediately after surgery did not indicate a greater likelihood of surgical site infection.
The type of bacteria found on the skin did not indicate that a SSI infection was forthcoming.”
Source: The Paulick Report, August 7, 2023. Link.
Also see: Surgical site infections, Clinician’s Brief, November 2017. Link. There are 3 areas of approach to SSIs: prevention, diagnosis, and management. While some procedures are known to be high risk, any procedure can result in infection; while rare, even routine or innocuous procedures can result in severe or fatal complications.