Prevention of Intraabdominal Adhesions in Ponies by Low-dose Heparin Therapy

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Abstract
An ischemic bowel model was used to stimulate adhesion formation in eight ponies. Heparin (40 USP u/kg) or saline was administered intravenously at surgery and was continued subcutaneously every 12 hours for 48 hours to evaluate the efficacy of heparin in preventing intraabdominal adhesions. Ponies were euthanatized after 6 weeks, and postmortem examinations were performed. A statistically significant difference was found between the heparin-treated and the control groups. Adhesions developed in three or four control ponies, and adhesions did not develop in three of four heparin-treated ponies. None of the adhesions resulted in clinical disease. In this study, heparin decreased the formation of adhesions in ponies after experimentally induced intestinal ischemia.

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