Horses with life-threatening cecal impactions only have a fair prognosis after surgery, but those that survive to discharge have a good prognosis, reported a group of veterinarians led by Lewis C.R. Smith, BVetMed, CertES(Orth), MRCVS, from Rossdales Equine Hospital in the United Kingdom.

Cecal impactions are not particularly common–they represent only 5% of all large intestinal impactions at referral institutions. However, according to the study authors, "Progression of caecal impaction to rupture is a potentially life-threatening complication associated with the condition."

Surgical management of cecal impactions, according to the authors, "are challenging, and complications following simple typhlotomy (incising into the cecum) are common."

To better understand the short- and long-term outcomes and complications in horses undergoing surgery for cecal impactions at Rossdales Equine Hospital between 2000 and 2008, Smith and his colleagues reviewed the medical records of 20 horses