Autosuture repair of a jejunoileal inguinal herniation in a horse

Summary An American Saddlebred stallion presented for an acute abdomen which was non-responsive to medical therapy. Physical and laboratory evaluation suggested a tentative diagnosis of small intestine incarceration within the inguinal ring. The use of the TA-90 and GIA-50 autosuture devices in performing a jejunocecostomy in the horse is described. These stapling devices greatly reduced the operative time required in performing intestinal resection and anastamosis compared to hand suture techniques.