Many horse owners have a preconceived idea that a horse will never be the same after intestinal surgery. They think the horse won't be able to perform or be ridden, or that the animal will be more prone to colic. Although some horses may experience these problems, a recent study about surgery for enterolith removal showed that most recover and return to work.

"There are continuous advancements being made that enable veterinarians to improve the care for horses requiring surgery," said Rebecca L. Pierce, BVetMed, of the College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville, Tenn.

Pierce and her colleagues compared the incidence of complications and survival in 236 horses that needed surgery to remove enteroliths–stones formed from minerals in the colon–from either the large (ascending) or small (descending) colon.

Surgery involving the small colon is thought of as being more difficult and having a higher complication rate before and after surgery because it is harder for the veterinarian to reach than the large colon. It is also narrower, so an enterolith blocking the small colon tends to cause more severe intestinal damage