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.
Hort I.In this study the treatment of a mandibular fracture in a 26 year old Arab horse, the history during the subsequent 4 years and the anatomical post-mortem findings are presented and described.
Robinson RC.Most practitioners will have experienced the
frustration encountered in the treatment of sprains
of the flexor tendons and suspensory ligaments
of racehorses. After apparent recovery, the
damaged structure will often break down again
when the horse returns to hard training. Milne
(1960), Reed (1962), Jubb and Kennedy (1963)
and Hickman (1964) have written detailed ac-
counts of the pathology of tendon injuries and the
mechanism of repair of tendon tissue. These
writers substantiate that when a tendon is
sprained, there is a tearing or rupture of some of
the tendon fibres, varying i...
Giusto G, Gandini M.The return to performance after colic surgery is crucial for competition horses. While studies have investigated racehorse performance following colic surgery by analysing racing participation and earnings, this approach does not apply to showjumping horses, leaving a gap in the literature regarding their objective performance evaluation. Objective: To assess the short- and long-term survival and return to performance in showjumping horses after colic surgery. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records of horses with acute colic requiring surgical treatment were analysed, and...
St Blanc MP, Mirza MH, Riggs LM, Leise BS.The aim of the study was to evaluate time to closure, bursting pressures and luminal diameters of a single and double-layer end-to-end anastomoses in normal equine descending colon. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Eight adult horses. Methods: Four segments of descending colon from each horse were randomly assigned to a control (n = 8, CON), one-layer (n = 12, group 1; continuous Lembert pattern), or two-layer group (n = 12, group 2; simple continuous oversewn with Cushing pattern). Anastomoses were performed, and time to closure and luminal diameter were measured. Bursting pr...
White JM, Hibner-Szaltys M, Duz M, Withers JM, Marcatili M.To determine the influence of breed (cob [CB] and non-cob [NC]), obturator type and surgical experience on the number of attempts, time taken and iatrogenic damage (ID) created when entering the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) tenoscopically. Methods: Prospective experimental cadaveric study. Methods: A total of 104 cadaver limbs. Methods: An equal number of randomly selected CB and NC limbs were operated using a conical obturator (OB) or a switching stick (SS) by one boarded (BS) and one resident surgeon (RS). Skin measurements, number of attempts and time taken to enter the DFTS were rec...
Baltrimaite M, Kearney C, O'Brien A, Duggan M, Cuq B.A 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding developed complications from a general anesthesia resulting in sling support and recurrent urinary catheterization. The horse subsequently presented signs of dysuria and pollakiuria, was diagnosed with sabulous cystitis, and developed a urethral stricture from the repeated catheterizations, which was confirmed on urethroscopy. Clinical signs persisted despite conservative management with topical corticosteroids and urethral bougienage with balloon dilators. An image-guided approach was used to treat the stricture with a custom-made polydioxanone stent pl...
Bielińska K, Butkiewicz AF, Ziemak H, Zdun M.Due to the growing interest among veterinarians and the increasing market demands, the development of equine cardiology is necessary. Currently, veterinary medicine for companion animals needs to catch up to human medicine-equine medicine included. A common condition in older horses is aortic valve regurgitation resulting from fibrosis, while its more severe form occurs in younger horses or develops due to a bacterial infection. Mitral valve regurgitation, especially dangerous due to the possibility of sudden death, has a better prognosis if the horse has valve prolapse. Tricuspid valve regurg...
Bulnes F, Argüelles D, Buzón A, García-Álamo K, Rodríguez-Gómez IM, Hernández E, Mozos E.This case report details a long-term follow-up of a hoof melanoma with dermo-epidermal activity (resembling Spreading Superficial Melanoma (SSM)) in a bay horse with a history of a right front hoof keratoma. Melanomas involving the horse's foot are seldom reported and usually diagnosed as anaplastic melanomas based on signalment and post-mortem examination. The clinical-pathological characteristics of the foot melanoma in this bay horse are consistent with SSM-like described in humans, which is considered an intermediate malignant tumour attending their biological behaviour. However, a definit...
Kopec EK, Stevens M, Crowe O, Wright C, Suthers J.The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term survival and postoperative complications in horses that had undergone small intestinal resection and a modified anastomosis technique using a partially stapled, functional end-to-end anastomosis. Methods: Observational retrospective case series. Methods: A total of 25 horses underwent small intestinal resection and a partially stapled, functional end-to-end anastomosis. Methods: A modified technique to create a partially stapled, functional end-to-end anastomosis is described. The clinical case records of all horses that fulfilled t...
Loomes K, de Grauw J, Gozalo-Marcilla M, Redondo JI, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R.Equine post-operative morbidity represents a significant concern for both veterinary surgeons and horse owners. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of post-operative complications in horses after elective/non-abdominal surgery or colic surgery. Methods: Systematic review. Methods: A database search identified eligible studies which reported the prevalence of equine post-operative complications published as a full paper in English in a peer-reviewed journal between 2000 and 2023. Studies were evaluated using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies and GRADE (Grading of Rec...
Smith HL, Love KR, Antezana A, Barr EM, Gilger BC, Oh A.To determine clinical outcome, treatment costs, and hospitalization duration in horses treated for keratomycosis and identify ophthalmic examination and diagnostic results associated with these outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 126 equine keratomycosis cases between 2004 and 2020 with fungal infection confirmed on cytology, culture, and/or histopathology and a minimum of 1-month follow-up. Details of the ophthalmic examination, diagnostic test results, and treatment and cost outcomes were recorded. Outcomes of interest were analyzed by treatment type. The relationship of pat...
Verhaar N, Hammer E, Reineking W, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Geburek F.To compare the practicability and tissue sample quality between different intestinal biopsy techniques. Methods: Experimental, randomized ex vivo study. Methods: Small intestine of nine horses. Methods: Four different biopsy techniques were evaluated in the aboral jejunum and the ileum within 1 h after euthanasia. One segment was used as control (C), and the applied techniques included an 8 mm biopsy punch (BP), transverse wedge resection (TW), longitudinal wedge resection with transverse closure (LW) and a longitudinal sample using Eppendorfer biopsy forceps (EF). Defects were closed using ...
Apolonio EVP, Gobbo LL, Woiblet NG, Dinau FC, Pyles MS, Ferrari LC, de Moura Alonso J, Alves ALG.Vascular hamartoma is an abnormal development of endothelial tissue that rarely affects horses. Histopathological examination remains the gold standard for definitive diagnosis, yet the presence of abnormal vascular structures must be carefully differentiated from other vascular anomalies and neoplasms. This report describes two cases of vascular proliferation affecting the skin on the lateral side over the left tarsus and the dorsolateral region over the fetlock joint of two fillies. The clinical history, presentation, and radiographic and sonographic findings in both patients suggested a neo...
Brito PHS, Ferreira MA, Rusch E, Arantes JA, Carregaro AB, Valadão CAA, Ghantous GF, Dória RGS.Submitting late-term pregnant mares to anesthesia for non-obstetric surgery raises concerns about the survival of the mother and fetus. This study aimed to evaluate and describe transient maternal and fetal hemodynamic changes during general inhalation anesthesia in mares during the last month of gestation. Nine adult mares in the last month of gestation were subjected to general inhalation anesthesia and dorsal recumbency for 90 minutes. Trans-anesthetic vital parameters, arterial hemogasometry, cardiac output, pulmonary arterial pressure, central venous pressure, and fetal heart rates were a...
Morris JM, Lassaline ME, Nunnery CM, Teixeira LBC, Martins BC, Moore BA, Knickelbein KE, Scherrer NM, Plummer CE.Little information describing the biologic behaviour and therapies for corneal lymphoma exist. Objective: To characterise histologically confirmed equine corneal lymphoma considering breed, age or sex predisposition, histologic and immunologic features, therapies and outcomes. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: A multicentre retrospective medical record review was used to identify horses that presented with corneal disease confirmed morphologically as corneal lymphoma from 2012 to 2022. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 10.5 years. Males represented 18/26 cases. Warmblood (14) and...
Medina-Bautista F, Morgaz J, Domínguez JM, Navarrete-Calvo R, Sánchez de Medina A, Quirós-Carmona S, Granados MDM.Recovery from general anaesthesia is risky in horses. Alpha-agonist administration after anaesthesia enhances the quality of recovery but may prolong this phase. Recovery time and quality were investigated after medetomidine administration at the end of general anaesthesia in a prospective, randomised, masked and clinical study. Horses underwent medetomidine-isoflurane partial intravenous anaesthesia. Medetomidine (0.5 or 1 µg/kg) IV was administered just after isoflurane was discontinued. The duration of different recovery phases and the number of attempts were recorded. A composite scale (f...
Barton CK, Hassel DM, Anders K, Weir TL.A major cause of morbidity and mortality in horses with large colon obstructive lesions is injury to the colonic mucosal barrier from ischemic injury. Since butyrate has been shown to play a critical role in the maintenance of a healthy mucosal barrier, it may play a role in the recovery process. This study's objective was to determine whether the differences in butyrate concentrations existed between horses with surgical large colon obstructive lesions and healthy horses both during and after surgery. Eleven horses presenting with surgical colic lesions were enrolled; colonic samples were acq...
de Lima AE, Mendes RP, Piñeros DDV, Alibrando BB, de Zoppa ALV, da Silva LCLC, de Freitas SH, Corrêa RR.Sinusitis is common in horses. Sinoscopy is used for visualization of sinus cavities and can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In this surgical procedure, a larger chamber is created and communication with other sinus compartments facilitated. To compare the applicability of different surgical approaches and rigid endoscopy systems for sinus inspection and fenestration of the maxillary septal bulla, and to examine the impact of different lens angles on the effectiveness of the procedure. Six chemically preserved cadaveric equine heads were used. Frontal and caudal maxillary port...
Braid HR.In veterinary education, simulators are models or devices that can imitate a real patient or scenario and allow students to practice skills without the need for live patients. Castration is a common surgical procedure in all species, and the standing, open technique is frequently performed in horses. Although a simulator has been developed for equine closed castration, a simulator for standing castration in the horse has not yet been described. This two-part study focused on the design, creation, and evaluation of a simulator for teaching standing castration in the horse. A low-technology simu...
Karam B, Arndt S, Magdesian KG, Cullen T, Dechant JE.A newborn (5 h old) quarter horse colt was presented because of lethargy and severe abdominal distention. Uroperitoneum was suspected during initial workup, based on sonographic imaging and peritoneal fluid analysis. Definitive diagnosis was confirmed during exploratory celiotomy. Surgery revealed a congenitally abnormal allantoic stalk/urachal remnant and a failure of embryological fusion of the dorsal bladder wall. Recovery was successful and the animal is now a healthy, 4-year-old western performance gelding. These specific congenital abnormalities have not been previously documented in the...
Witt P, Stas EKL, Hardeman LC, van Proosdij ER, Weerts EAWS, Lloyd-Edwards RA, Veraa S, Kranenburg LC, van den Boom R.A sixteen-year-old Friesian mare was admitted to the university clinic with the following clinical signs: anorexia, weight loss, fever, bilateral nasal discharge, unilateral facial paralysis and a non-healing corneal lesion. Endoscopic examination of the upper airways showed thickening of the proximal portion of the right stylohyoid bone. Computed tomography imaging showed pneumocephalus due to grade 3 unilateral temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) with fracture of the petrous temporal bone. The horse did not improve following medical treatment. Surgical intervention was declined by the owner ...
Norton AM, Rosanowski SM, O'Brien T.Epiglottic entrapment (EE) is a common cause of poor performance in racing standardbreds (STBs) and thoroughbreds (TBs). There is limited information published on the condition in STB racehorses and limited information on factors associated with return to racing available for either breed. Unassigned: This study investigated and compared the pre surgical findings, post-surgical complications and racing performance in STBs and TBs undergoing surgery for correction of EE. Associations between signalment and pre-surgical findings, and the presence of complications and racing post-surgery were com...
Troillet A, Scharner D.Cecocolic intussusceptions are a rare condition of acute colic in horses requiring immediate surgical intervention due to persistent uncontrollable pain and ongoing ischemic cecal necrosis. Particularly in cases where reduction of the intussusception is surgically not feasible surgical interventions such as partial typhlectomy through colotomy (partial cecal amputation) combined with or without cecal bypass techniques are described. Alternatively, surgical interventions can also be performed without partial typhlectomy via incomplete bypass ileocolostomy. Information regarding applicable techn...
Blatter M, Chapman HS, Heinzel-Gutenbrunner M, von Plato G, Rijkenhuizen A.Desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon (AL-SDFT) has been described for the treatment of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) tendinopathy in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses, and in event horses. To our knowledge, the outcome of this procedure has not been described in a population of warmblood horses. Objective: To report on the outcome of treatment of SDFT tendinopathy in warmblood horses using tenoscopic desmotomy of the main part of the AL-SDFT. Methods: Prospective observational case series. Methods: All 62 horses included in the case ser...
Bernick A, Wehrend A.Uroperitoneum is a typical disease in newborn foals. It occurs rarely but regularly. The aim of the present study is to present clinical signs, laboratory findings and prognosis of foals with uroperitoneum. Methods: Medical records of 33 foals suffering from uroperitoneum that were treated between 2006 and June 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: The incidence was 2.3% based of all presented foals during the first 14 days of life in the investigation period. Colts (78.8%) were significant more often affected (p=0,012) than fillies (21.2%). Common clinical signs were disturbed general ...
Moyer EK, Bauck AG, Denagamage T, Freeman DE.To compare end-to-side (ES) and side-to-side (SS) jejunocecostomy (JC) in healthy horses. Methods: Experimental study in vivo. Methods: A total of 14 healthy adult horses underwent ventral midline celiotomy, a resection, and either an ES (n = 7) or stapled SS (n = 7) JC. Methods: Surgical times and the external lengths of completed anastomoses were measured. Physical examinations and pain scoring were performed every 6 h for 5 days, then once daily until euthanasia and necropsy 28 days postoperatively. Results: The anastomosis was completed more rapidly (p < .002) with the SS...
Nakamae Y, Elce YA, Saab ME, McClure JT, Doyle AJ.Alcohol-based antisepsis has shown experimentally to be as effective as 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) at reducing bacterial counts (colony forming units; CFU) on equine skin. Our objectives were to determine the immediate and post-surgical reduction in CFU/mL on equine skin prepared with CHG-based or 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA)-based (without CHG) protocols in a clinical setting with arthroscopic surgery. Our hypotheses were that the logCFU/mL reduction would not significantly differ between protocols immediately after preparation or at the end of surgery. Six horses underwent a 40 min bila...
Holst BS, Engelmann A, Gröndahl G, Gunnarsson L, Haug Haaland A, Hielm-Björkman A, Moe L, Rhodin M, Rönnberg H, Stråhle M, Toljander Y....The societal value of cats, dogs and horses is high, and the companion and sport animal health care sector is growing. Clinical research concerning cats, dogs and horses is crucial for the development of evidence-based medical care that benefits animals and their owners, and has implications for human and environmental health from a One Health perspective. Basic information on companion animal and equine research enables more directed measures to improve conditions for research within the area. The aim of the present study was to describe Nordic companion animal and equine clinical research fr...
Reed RA, Carroll AT, Dantino SC, Quandt JE, Barletta M, Sakai DM.To determine the influence of xylazine infusion on survival to discharge and describe the associated intraoperative requirement for isoflurane, use of positive inotropes and vasopressors, and recovery time in horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 352 horses. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing anesthesia for exploratory laparotomy from January 2018 to December 2023 were reviewed. Data collected included survival to discharge, results of diagnostic tests, end tidal isoflurane concentration (FE'Iso), use of vasopressors/inotr...
Sholty KA, Hecobian A, Sullivan AP, Collett JL, Koch DW, Hackett ES.To evaluate plume composition during simulated diode laser equine upper airway surgery. Unassigned: A 980-nm diode laser fiber was applied in continuous-wave mode in contact with laryngeal and pharyngeal tissues of 6 equine cadaver heads, and resultant plumes were collected for analysis. Measured parameters included the real-time concentration of particulate matter under the size of 2.5 μm (PM2.5), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Unassigned: Visible smoke was encountered during surgical laser application and plume collection. Diode laser medi...
Breen LJ, Stack JD, Gillen AM, Baldwin CM.(1) To evaluate the feasibility of needle tenoscopy of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) using basisesamoid (BS) and proximolateral (PL) approaches in a standing equine cadaver model. (2) To report visualization of intrathecal DFTS anatomy via both approaches. (3) To determine the efficacy of needle scope-guided palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL) desmotomy. (4) To report any iatrogenic damage associated with the procedure. Methods: Ex vivo experimental. Methods: Ten equine cadaver limbs. Methods: Limbs were placed in a Kimzey leg-saver splint and needle tenoscopy was performed using t...
Orozco Lopez D, Garcia-Lopez JM, Carpenter R, Bras JJ, Richardson DW, Ortved KF.To describe the outcome of metacarpophalangeal (MCPJ) and proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthrodesis using a locking compression-distal femur plate (LCP-DFP) in Thoroughbred racehorses with traumatic disruption of the suspensory apparatus (TDSA) at risk of PIPJ subluxation. Methods: Multicenter retrospective study. Methods: Twenty-six Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Records of Thoroughbred racehorses with TDSA that had undergone MCPJ and PIPJ arthrodesis using an LCP-DFP at three referral hospitals between 2020 and 2024 were reviewed for inclusion. The preoperative data collected incl...
