Alar fold resection in horses: 24 cases (1979-1992).

The research article presents a study examining alar fold resections in horses, conducted over 13 years, and reveals that a significant number of horses had improved respiratory function and exercise tolerance after surgery.

Study Overview

• The authors investigated 24 cases of alar fold resection in horses between 1979 and 1992.
• Resection, or surgical removal, was performed on the alar folds (a structure in the nasal passage) in horses that were primarily suffering from abnormal respiratory tract noise and exercise intolerance.
• The surgery was performed bilaterally (on both sides) in 22 horses and unilaterally (on one side) in 2 horses.

Findings

• The study found a significant increase (P = 0.01) in the number of Standardbreds – a horse breed used in harness racing – that underwent this procedure, compared to their total presence in the hospital population during the same period.
• The alar folds were found to be abnormally thick in 13 horses and normal in 11 horses.
• The temporary dilatation (expansion) of nostrils, achieved through sutures or clips, resulted in decreased respiratory tract noise and improved exercise tolerance in all 8 horses on which the diagnostic test was employed.
• Manual elevation of the alar folds also led to diminished respiratory noise in the 11 evaluated horses.

Post-surgery evaluation and performance

• Long-term follow-up was available for 14 horses, showing that respiratory tract noise was decreased, and exercise tolerance improved in 10 out of 14 (71%) horses.
• The analyzed racing performance data from 16 horses indicated that most were able to successfully race post-surgery. Of the 16 horses, 14 started their first race an average of 118 days after the operation.
• Out of 16 horses, 14 had more than 6 racing starts after surgery, and 8 out of 16 horses raced at least three times both before and after surgery.
• The racing performance improved for 4 horses, remained the same for 2 horses, and decreased for 2 horses. Five Standardbreds never raced, and 1 Standardbred raced only once before surgery.