Laparoscopy has become a routine technique in equine surgery, offering superior visualization, diagnostic precision, and reduced morbidity and hospitalization duration. Despite these advantages, both intraoperative and postoperative complications may occur, potentially impacting animal welfare and leading to economic losses. This study conducted a scoping review to summarize available evidence regarding the occurrence, definitions, and classifications of complications during and after equine laparoscopic surgery. A systematic search was performed across scientific databases for peer-reviewed English-language articles on laparoscopy in equids published from 1992 to 2022. Extracted data included study design, sample size, surgical procedures, and reported complications. A total of 164 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Only one study provided a definition for “intraoperative complication.” Twelve papers differentiated between “minor” and “major” intraoperative complications, while twenty-two made such distinctions for postoperative complications. Overall, 22 intraoperative and 34 postoperative complications were identified. The most frequent intraoperative issue was hemorrhage from the ovary or mesovary (12.7%), and the most frequent postoperative problems were incisional complications (64.2%) and postoperative pain (32.7%). Establishing standardized criteria for defining and classifying complications is necessary to guide treatment decisions and enable meaningful comparison across studies.
