The Vet Tech’s Role in Colic Surgery

Veterinary technicians make important contributions before, during, and after colic surgery. Here’s how they help veterinarians and surgeons during these potentially life-saving procedures.
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Postoperative outcomes in equine colic cases are often driven by the speed of a correct diagnosis, prompt surgical correction, clear communication, and efficient use of surgery time. Being well-prepared and efficient is the most effective way a veterinary technician can contribute to the surgery and improve a patient’s outcome. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
Despite veterinary advancements and dramatically improved postoperative survival rates, colic is still a leading cause of death among horses. Colic, by definition, is abdominal pain; this is a clinical sign rather than a disease. A horse can be “colicky” for many reasons—large colon torsions, small intestinal strangulations, spasmodic episodes, and cecal impactions, to name a few.

The veterinary team is crucial to helping horse owners and farm managers understand a colic episode and determine what medical or surgical intervention is appropriate; the veterinary technician is a key element of that team. More often than not, a veterinarian can manage a colic episode medically, but when surgical intervention is necessary, veterinary technicians also play a vital role in expediting the process and ensuring a successful outcome.

Veterinarians at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, in Lexington, Kentucky, perform colic surgery on approximately 400 to 500 patients each year. Before the horse even reaches the hospital, veterinary technicians take steps that can greatly speed up the veterinarian’s assessment of the colic’s severity and nature once the horse arrives. Over the phone they collect an accurate signalment, which can include the horse’s age, breed, and sex. The technician might ask the owner or caretaker questions about the colic episode’s duration, treatments or procedures performed before referral, and insurance status. If he or she works for a surgical facility it is always appropriate to ask whether surgery is an option. If the technician compiles an accurate patient history, the veterinary team can be ready as soon as a patient arrives at the hospital and promptly diagnose and recommend treatment, which could include surgery.

Veterinary technicians play many roles before, during, and after colic surgery. A surgeon depends on the veterinary technicians to know and understand these roles and perform them efficiently and calmly. At Hagyard, two veterinary technicians and three interns support each surgeon during a colic surgery. A veterinary technician often prepares for an incoming colic patient by readying supplies to work up the case. The standard protocol at Hagyard’s colic ward involves preparing catheter supplies, fluids, nasogastric tubes, buckets, and an ultrasound unit by the stall so the veterinarian can evaluate the patient preoperatively. Depending on the severity of pain, the veterinary team takes some horses directly to induction stalls and anesthetizes them immediately. If the patient is a surgical candidate, the veterinary technician can ready him for surgery by gathering materials to prepare a sterile surgical site. One of the veterinary technician’s most vital roles is making sure the surgeon has the correct sterile packs and drapes as well as any other surgical equipment. The ability to plan ahead is the most desirable trait in a veterinary technician. Preparedness will shorten the time the horse is anesthetized and how long the surgical procedure takes, which greatly improves the chance for a successful outcome

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Written by:

Harry Markwell, BVSc, Dipl. ACVS, is originally from Australia and completed his internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, in Lexington, Kentucky. He currently works as a senior veterinarian at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital in Victoria, Australia.

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