If a horse dies under anesthesia, he almost certainly had sustained so much internal damage that he was going to die anyway. Even aged equines generally deal just fine with anesthesia if they're otherwise healthy, he adds. As with humans, the better shape the horse is in before the surgery, the better his chances of coming through the anesthesia with no problems and bouncing back in a relatively short period of time. Experts can point to a few factors that have been shown to affect a horse's chances of surviving colic surgery. Horses under a year of age suffer fewer colics overall, says White, but have a lower colic surgery survival rate because they are at greater risk of developing adhesions.
Researchers know that some types of colic have higher survival rates than others.
Your veterinarian, as well as the hospital staff, will advise you of your horse's chances before they operate, and the veterinary surgeon will give you a post-operative prognosis report after the procedure is completed. Like people, some horses are fighters, while others are made of weaker stuff. There are no easy answers when it comes to colic surgery, just as there are no easy decisions. Unpleasant as the subject might be, talk to your veterinarian about what you'd do in the event of a severe colic, and map out a game plan. Make any needed arrangements, such as for equine insurance, before you need them.