Abdominal Surgery in Foals

Foals, from birth to weaning, may experience specific gastrointestinal and urogenital conditions that could necessitate surgical intervention involving the abdomen. The stakes are high, as the focus is not only on survival but also on the potential for a successful athletic or reproductive future. For owners, the unexpected costs can influence treatment decisions. Despite the importance of these interventions, surgical techniques have seen little change over the years, with the exception of adaptations for laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted techniques. Current literature tends to focus on short or midterm outcomes, primarily survival, leaving a gap in knowledge about long-term athletic and reproductive outcomes.

This Research Topic aims to address these gaps and provide a comprehensive overview of abdominal surgery in foals. The first objective is to review and update the current literature on the most common surgical abdominal conditions in foals, including surgical techniques, complications, and outcomes. The second goal is to highlight minimally invasive techniques, particularly laparoscopy. Lastly, the Research Topic seeks to encourage researchers or research groups working in this field to submit their articles for consideration for publication, thereby fostering a broader discussion and exchange of knowledge.

To further this inquiry, we welcome submissions that explore a range of aspects within the field of foal abdominal surgery, but are not limited to:

• Comparative analyses of laparoscopic versus traditional open surgical techniques
• Long-term athletic and reproductive outcomes following surgical interventions
• Economic evaluations and decision-making in surgical treatment
• Case studies on innovative surgical methods and their recovery outcomes
• Advances in preoperative and postoperative care protocols

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Foal, surgery, abdominal, gastrointestinal, urogenital

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.