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Topic:Surgery
Surgery for horses encompasses a range of procedures performed to diagnose, treat, or manage various medical conditions. These procedures may involve soft tissue or orthopedic interventions and require specialized techniques to accommodate the unique anatomical and physiological characteristics of equines. Common surgical procedures in horses include colic surgery, fracture repair, and arthroscopy. The success of equine surgery depends on numerous factors, including the type of procedure, the horse's overall health, and post-operative care. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore surgical techniques, outcomes, and advancements in equine surgical practices.
Desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor muscle in equine cadaver limbs. Effects of longitudinal compression before and after transection of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor (SDF) muscle were measured in eight equine cadaver forelimbs. When compression was increased from 890 N to 3115 N, the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and carpal joints hyperextended 20 degrees and 4 degrees, respectively, and strain in the SDF and deep digital flexor tendons was increased 3.5% and 1.4%, respectively. The accessory ligament did not elongate. Immediately after transection of the accessory ligament at 3115 N load, a 2.8 mm gap formed between the transected ends ...
Squamous cell carcinoma as a cause of dyspnea and blindness in a horse. An 8-year-old Quarter Horse mare was examined for chronic nasal discharge and obstruction of both nasal passages. A solid mass lesion was identified in the maxillary sinuses, soft palate, nasal and pharyngeal cavities. Palliative surgery was used to debulk the lesion and facilitate nasal airflow. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed from surgical biopsies. Approximately 7-8 weeks after surgery, the mare was observed to be acutely blind. Ophthalmologic examination revealed central origin blindness and active retinitis. The squamous cell carcinoma had reobstructed the nasal passages. Pressure b...
Excision of oral squamous cell carcinoma in a horse. A large oral squamous cell carcinoma in a 27-year-old Arabian stallion was removed by partial excision of the incisive bone. There was no gross evidence of recurrence or metastasis 5 months later.
Surgical correction of strictures of the large colon in three horses. An extensive stricture of the left dorsal colon in a Thoroughbred colt was resected and the colon was anastomosed. In two horses, circumferential strictures at the pelvic flexure 2.5 to 3 cm long were corrected with a modified Heineke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty technique. The horses were reported to be doing well at 6, 8, and 45 months, respectively.
Bone abscess in the mandible of a quarter horse gelding. A 4-year-old Quarter horse gelding presented with a swelling in the soft tissues over the junction of the body and ramus of the left mandible. Radiography showed a well circumscribed lytic area within the mandible surrounded by sclerosis unassociated with any tooth. Aspiration of the lesion yielded pus. The abscess cavity was opened, curetted and lavaged. A Penrose drain was placed in the abscess cavity for 10 days. Bacteriological culture of the exudate and soft tissues from the abscess produced a few colonies of Staphylococcus intermedius. Histopathology showed chronic pyogenic infection. Th...
Squamous cell carcinoma of the hoof wall in a stallion. Squamous cell carcinoma of the hoof wall, with resultant invasion of the right hind distal phalanx, was identified in a 15-year-old Thoroughbred stallion. The clinical features included a chronic grade 2/5 right hind limb lameness and a sessile dorsal hoof wall mass that was not sensitive to palpation. Radiography revealed a well-circumscribed circular lucency within the distal phalanx, beneath the clinically noticed hoof wall mass. These features were considered to be characteristic of a hoof wall keratoma. Surgical intervention was done 10 months later. The histologic diagnosis at the time o...
Effects of exploratory laparotomy on plasma and peritoneal coagulation/fibrinolysis in horses. Plasma and peritoneal fluid samples were collected before and after surgery from 6 horses undergoing a ventral midline exploratory laparotomy and from 6 anesthetized control horses. Coagulation/fibrinolytic components measured in the plasma and peritoneal fluid of these horses included the functional activity of antithrombin III, alpha-2 antiplasmin, plasminogen, and protein C, and the concentrations of fibrinogen and fibrin degradation products. Peritoneal fluid antithrombin III, fibrin degradation products, and plasminogen values were significantly increased after surgery (over time) in prin...
Surgical treatment of open splint bone fractures in 26 horses. Over a period of 16 years, 26 horses were treated for open fractures involving the splint bones. Treatment consisted of surgical excision of fracture fragments and sequestra, and curettage of infected and unhealthy tissues. The splint bone distal to the fracture was removed in nine horses in which the attachment of the splint bone to the cannon bone via the interosseous ligament did not provide adequate stability. In two horses it was considered necessary to stabilise the proximal fragment by internal fixation and infection developed in both of them; one of these horses was destroyed on humane...
Resection of a cervical tracheal bronchus in a foal. A 3-day-old Thoroughbred foal developed a large, air-distended, midcervical swelling that was diagnosed as a congenital tracheal bronchus with associated ectopic lung tissue. Clinical signs consisted of a compressible air-filled sac that enveloped the trachea. The nature and extent of the defect were evaluated endoscopically and radiographically. Surgical resection of the bronchus and associated air-filled sac resulted in a functionally and cosmetically acceptable outcome.
Cosmetic repair of a facial deformity by use of a silicone implant in a horse. A heat-vulcanized silicone implant was used for cosmetic repair of a facial deformity in a horse. The deformity had resulted from fracture of the frontal bone into the frontal sinus 6 months earlier. Normal facial contour was restored by suturing the sculpted implant to the periosteum over the defect. Results 1 year after surgery were excellent.
Use of transendoscopic contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser to drain dorsal epiglottic abscesses in two horses. A submucosal abscess, located on the dorsal surface of the epiglottis, was diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses by use of endoscopy. Both horses had exercise intolerance. One horse had intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate, coughed while eating and galloping, and made an abnormal respiratory noise. Both abscesses were drained transendoscopically by use of a contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Eleven days after surgery, the surgical sites appeared to have healed. Clinical signs resolved permanently, and both horses returned to successful racing careers.
Use of phacofragmentation for cataract removal in horses: 12 cases (1985-1989). The medical records of 12 horses that had cataracts removed by use of phacofragmentation were reviewed. Cataracts were removed from 16 eyes in horses ranging in age from 2 months to 15 years. Complications after surgery included corneal ulcers in 13 eyes, diffuse corneal edema in 5 eyes, and uncontrollable uveitis in 3 eyes. Follow-up information was obtained in all horses from 1 month to 3.5 years after surgery. Visual results were judged good by owners or veterinarians in 10 of the horses.
Arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments of the palmar/plantar aspect of the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joints. This paper presents the results of arthroscopic surgery in 42 Standardbred trotters and three Finnish horses. Forty-five horses were operated on. The age range was one to seven years; 73 per cent of the horses were three years old or younger. Horses showed a variety of clinical signs ranging from moderate to severe lameness at slow speeds, to obscure lameness manifesting only at high speeds. Synovial effusion of the fetlock joint was rare. In this series, 44 horses that had Type I fragments and one horse that had Type III fragments were operated on. Of the 45 horses operated on, 23 (51 per cen...
A comparison of three techniques for closure of pelvic flexure enterotomies in normal equine colon. Six enterotomies 3 cm long, spaced at 3 cm intervals, were made in the antimesenteric border of the pelvic flexure of the ascending colon in five adult horses. Ten incisions each were sutured with a Utrecht pattern (single layer), a full-thickness simple continuous oversewn with a Cushing pattern (two layer), and a mucosal simple continuous with a seromuscular simple continuous oversewn with a Cushing pattern (three layer). In all horses, chromic gut and polyglactin 910 were each used once for each pattern. On day 6, the pelvic flexure was excised and the colonic vessels were injected with a r...
Evaluation of peroral transendoscopic contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser and snare excision of subepiglottic cysts in horses. Three basic techniques (and one modified technique) were developed, allowing successful excision of subepiglottic cysts in 10 horses (5 Standardbreds, 4 Thoroughbreds, and 1 Quarter Horse; mean age, 3.5 years) via peroral approach. This approach eliminated the need for laryngotomy or pharyngotomy and reduced postoperative care. None of the cysts redeveloped. Clinical signs of disease before surgery included respiratory noise, exercise intolerance, coughing, and dysphagia and were eliminated in all horses except one that raced successfully, but in which some respiratory noise was detected. Pero...
Pulsed carbon dioxide laser for cartilage vaporization and subchondral bone perforation in horses. Part II: Morphologic and histochemical reactions. A pulsed carbon dioxide laser was used to vaporize articular cartilage in four horses, and perforate the cartilage and subchondral bone in four horses. Both intercarpal joints were examined arthroscopically and either a 1 cm cartilage crater or a series of holes was created in the third carpal bone of one joint. The contralateral carpus served as a control. After euthanasia at week 8, the treated and control joints were examined for gross changes, and samples of cartilage and subchondral bone, synovial membrane, and peripheral lymph nodes were examined histologically. Depletion of cartilage ma...
Osteochondritis dissecans of the tarsocrural joint: results of treatment with arthroscopic surgery. The technique and results of arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of osteochondritis dissecans in 318 tarsocrural joints in 225 horses are reported. Of the 225 horses, 154 were racehorses or intended for racing. Arthroscopic surgery was an effective technique for treating osteochondritis dissecans of the tarsocrural joint. The overall functional ability and cosmetic appearance of the limbs were excellent. Post surgical follow-up information was obtained for 183 horses, of which 140 (76.5 per cent) raced successfully or performed their intended use following surgery. Of the remaining 43, 11 w...
Effects of sodium hyaluronate on tendon healing and adhesion formation in horses. Sodium hyaluronate reduces adhesions after tendon repair in rodents and dogs, and has been used in limited clinical trials in people. To evaluate its effect on tendon healing and adhesion formation in horses and to compare these effects with those of a compound of similar visco-elastic properties, a study was performed in horses, using a model of collagenase injection in the flexor tendons within the digital sheath. Eight clinically normal horses were randomly allotted to 2 groups. Adhesion formation between the deep digital flexor tendon and the tendon sheath at the pastern region was induced...
Antithrombin III activity in horses with colic: an analysis of 46 cases. Antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity was measured at the time of admission in 46 horses referred with colic. Differences in AT-III activities between animals treated medically or surgically and survivors or non-survivors were compared. The mean AT-III values for the horses treated medically (76.2 per cent), surgical survivors (69.5 per cent) and surgical non-survivors (55.9 per cent) were significantly different from the reference value for healthy adults (92 to 108 per cent). The mean AT-III activity of the survivors was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater than that of the nonsurvivors. Th...
Pulsed carbon dioxide laser for cartilage vaporization and subchondral bone perforation in horses. Part I: Technique and clinical results. A carbon dioxide laser, used in a rapidly pulsed mode, was evaluated for intra-articular use in horses. Under arthroscopic guidance, a lensed 5 mm laser probe attached directly to a hand-held carbon dioxide laser was inserted into one intercarpal joint of eight horses. In four horses, a cartilage crater 1 cm in diameter was created to the level of the subchondral bone of the articular surface of the third carpal bone. In four horses, the laser was directed perpendicular to the articular surface of the third carpal bone and activated to penetrate the cartilage and subchondral bone. The intercar...
Idiopathic cecal rupture in foals after anesthesia for gastric endoscopy. Cecal rupture has been reported as a complication of tape-worm infestation or parturition in horses. Often it occurs with no apparent predisposing factors. Spontaneous rupture on the medial surface of the cecum occurred in 2 of 19 foals, 12 to 24 hours after gastric endoscopy. The sites of rupture were identical in both foals. Rupture occurred despite prior deworming, withholding of food and water before anesthesia, and care in induction of anesthesia and recovery. Surgeons should be aware of the potential of cecal rupture in horses anesthetized for elective surgery.
Small-intestinal volvulus as a complication of acquired inguinal hernia in two horses. Volvulus of the small intestine was diagnosed as a complication of acquired inguinal herniation in 2 horses. One of the horses continued to have signs of pain after reduction of the hernia. The volvulus was diagnosed at a second surgery, but the intestine was devitalized, and the horse was euthanatized. Ventral midline exploratory surgery was performed on the second horse, in conjunction with an inguinal approach. The small-intestinal volvulus was diagnosed and corrected at this time. It is suggested that ventral midline abdominal exploration be performed when acquired inguinal herniation caus...
Renosplenic entrapment of the large colon in horses: 57 cases (1983-1988). During a 5-year period, renosplenic entrapment of the large colon was diagnosed in 57 horses referred to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center. The signalment of and clinical signs of disease in these horses were compared with such variables in 200 horses referred for other types of colic. Findings did not support a male gender predilection for this disease, as was previously reported. The case survival rate was 93% for this group of horses. Fourteen of the horses were treated nonsurgically by rolling them clockwise while they were under general anesthesia. Data supported the safety and efficacy...
