title: Evaluation of racing performance after colic surgery in Thoroughbreds: 85 cases (1996-2010).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine racing performance after surgery for colic in Thoroughbreds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  85 racing Thoroughbreds that survived to discharge following colic surgery and 170 race-matched reference horses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Earnings, starts, and earnings per start were compared between horses that underwent surgery and reference horses, the proportions of horses that returned to racing were analyzed, and career longevity was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 85 racing Thoroughbreds that underwent colic surgery, 31 (36%) had primarily small intestinal lesions, of which 11 underwent resection; 54 (64%) had large intestinal lesions, of which 2 underwent resection. Fifty-nine of 85 (69%) horses that underwent colic surgery returned to racing after a 6-month recovery period versus 125 of 170 (73%) reference horses (OR, 0.81). In the 36-month postoperative period, reference horses earned a mean of $7,866 more, had a mean of 0.26 more starts, and had mean earnings per start of $29 more than horses that underwent surgery. Horses that underwent surgery did not have different career lengths than reference horses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Horses that underwent colic surgery did not have a significant reduction in measures of performance or career length, compared with a reference cohort.
authors.affiliation: Chino Valley Equine Hospital, 2945 English Pl, Chino Hills, CA 91709, USA. joytom@vet.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Joy E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: Raymond C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Boston
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brauer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012420:Running; D013177:Sports; D016896:Treatment Outcome