The surgical management of oesophageal obstruction in a horse

Oesophageal obstruction or 'choke' is a condition seen occasionally in the horse; most cases are due to food impaction and resolve with conservative treatment. Rarely is surgical intervention required and there are few reports of oesophagotomy being used in clinical cases. This communication reports the successful surgical management of a cervical oesophageal obstruction due to the ingestion of wood.