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Aggressive medical treatment should be initiated after surgical removal to reduce the likelihood of stricture formation. This should include:
Aggressive medical treatment should be initiated after surgical removal to reduce the likelihood of stricture formation. This should include:
*'''Withdrawal of oral food for 2-3 days''' as standard but, if the inflammation is severe or rupture has occurred, a '''gastrostomy tube''' may be required.
*'''Oral sucralfate suspension''' is thought to bind to the base of any ulcers, to stimulate epithelial repair and to neutralise any refluxed gastric juices.
*'''[[Gastroprotective Drugs|Gastric acid secretory inhibitors]]''' (e.g. ranitidine, omeprazole) can be useful in cases of gastro-oesophageal reflux.
*'''Metaclopramide''', a promotility drug that increases the tone of the lower oesophageal sphincter, may also be used to manage gastro-oesophageal reflux but not if oesophageal motility is thought to be impaired (i.e., if megaoesophagus is present).
*'''Broad spectrum intra-venous bactericidal antibiotics''' may be required in animals with severe oesophagitis or mediastinitis.
*'''Analgesia''' should be provided to encourage animals to eat after 2-3 days.
*'''Anti-inflammatory doses of [[Steroids|corticosteroids]]''' (such as prednisolone) may be used to prevent fibrosis and further stricture formation in acute injuries but caution should be exercised if the animal has concurrent aspiration pneumonia.
Further procedures are also indicated to ensure that the surgery has not caused further damage:
*inspection of the oesophageal mucosa to assess for any damage.
*'''Radiographs of the chest''' should be obtained immediately after surgery to check that pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum have not developed.
*thoracic radiographs to look for pneumothorax caused by oesophageal perforation.
*'''Oesophagoscopy''' should be performed 2-3 weeks after the surgery to ensure that strictures have not developed at the site of the obstruction.
==Prognosis==
==Prognosis==
Animals with oesophageal foreign bodies without perforation carry a good prognosis. Those with oesophageal perforation carry a guarded prognosis depending on the degree of thoracic contamination.
Animals with oesophageal foreign bodies without perforation carry a good prognosis. Those with oesophageal perforation carry a guarded prognosis depending on the degree of thoracic contamination. Surgical removal of foreign bodies is associated with more adverse effects than endoscopic removal.
==References==
==References==