Correction of epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) in horses can be a difficult and time-consuming step in surgery. Large vessels either bordering or in close proximity to the epiploic foramen (EF), including the portal vein, hepatic artery, and caudal vena cava, necessitate careful manipulation to avoid rupture and fatal hemorrhage. Historically, enlargement has been contraindicated, but given that these vessels are associated with the cranial border of the EF, it is hypothesized that digital dissection along the caudal edge can be safely achieved to aid in reduction. This procedure was successfully performed in experimental and clinical cases, with the EF in experimental horses being enlarged to approximately twice the initial size and resulting in reduction of difficult small intestine entrapments in clinical cases. Although the main limitation was its application in a small number of clinical cases, the results of this study suggest that EFE can be a safe and effective procedure for reducing entrapments when other described methods have been unsuccessful.
