Update on innovative surgical techniques for omphalectomy in foals

Summary Umbilical infection is a common foal disorder, prone to complications, requiring surgical excision in severe cases. Timely surgical excision is the treatment of choice in these cases, as the infected umbilicus places the foal at risk for further fatal complications, such as sepsis and septic arthritis. Abdominal adhesions are a common, potentially fatal complication of abdominal surgery in horses, and neonatal foals carry a higher risk than adults. The umbilical vein leading to the liver is occasionally infected at its cranial portion, where it enters the liver. Resecting this portion of the vein requires marked lengthening of the abdominal incision. This perspective study aims to present innovative surgical techniques both for resection of routine umbilical infections and for those involving the cranial portion of the umbilical vein. These techniques aim to effectively remove the infected parts while avoiding extensive ventral abdominal incision and avoiding exposure of the gastrointestinal organs during omphalectomy. These surgical procedures have been performed for several years now in the author's institute, with successful outcome and good cosmetic results.