Large animal surgery Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon
Barbed suture is beneficial to close lacerations in difficult locations as it maintains apposition without constant pressure and no knot tying is needed. Barbed suture placed in a simple continuous or continuous horizontal mattress pattern was used to treat 3 rectal tears of varying length and grades in the horse. Blind closure of cranially located tears was performed using digital passage of the suture. Standard long instruments were use when the tear could be accessed with instruments. No packing nor lining of the rectum was used and horses were returned to wet feed 24 hours post-repair. Two grade 3 tears were successfully repaired with no complications and return to use. One grade 4 tear dehisced 4 days post-surgery. Barbed suture fixation alone led to good outcomes when the tears were grade 3. Horses healed well and without complications after this surgery was performed. Hand suturing could be performed in cranial locations where standard long instruments could not reach. When the tear is a grade 4, supplemental surgeries including stapling the rectum (Kay et al. 2008) or diverting the small colon must be performed in addition to correcting the rectal tear.
