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Equine veterinary journal2026; doi: 10.1002/evj.70305

Comparison of Fogarty and Vollmar thrombectomy for chronic jugular thrombosis in horses.

Abstract: Chronic jugular vein thrombosis may result in persistent venous obstruction and impaired head drainage. Although surgical thrombectomy is performed in selected cases, experimental comparisons between mechanical techniques for chronic thrombus removal in horses are lacking. Objective: To compare Fogarty catheter thrombectomy alone with a combined Vollmar ring-Fogarty technique for restoration and maintenance of luminal patency in experimentally induced chronic jugular thrombosis. Methods: Randomised in vivo study. Methods: Chronic right jugular thrombosis was induced in 10 healthy adult horses. After confirmation of thrombus chronicity (D13), horses underwent thrombectomy using the Fogarty catheter (FG; n = 5) or a combined Vollmar ring-Fogarty technique (VFG; n = 5). Clinical, ultrasonographic, and venographic evaluations were performed until D27 and analysed in two phases: thrombus induction/chronicity (D0-D13; n = 10) and post-thrombectomy follow-up (D13-D27; n = 5 per group). Quantitative data are presented as mean ± SD. Results: Both techniques restored luminal patency intraoperatively. The Vollmar-Fogarty approach removed a greater thrombus mass (32 ± 6 g vs. 8 ± 2 g), yet VFG horses developed variable early postoperative re-occlusion with persistent partial obstruction at 6 h. In contrast, 3/5 FG horses demonstrated partial luminal patency at D14. At D27, sustained functional patency was observed in 3/5 FG and 1/5 VFG horses; remaining cases showed partial recanalisation with serpiginous channels. Thrombus length progressively decreased in both groups, and no major intraoperative complications occurred. Conclusions: Small sample size and use of an experimental model in healthy horses may limit generalisability. Imaging assessments were performed by a single investigator, although blinded analysis was undertaken. Conclusions: Both techniques re-established venous flow in chronic jugular thrombosis; however, Fogarty thrombectomy achieved more sustained patency at 27 days despite removing smaller thrombus fragments. Further clinical studies are warranted.
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Publication Date: 2026-08-09 PubMed ID: 42571992DOI: 10.1002/evj.70305Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This study compared two mechanical techniques, Fogarty catheter thrombectomy alone and a combined Vollmar ring-Fogarty method, for removing chronic jugular vein thrombi in horses to restore and maintain vein openness.
  • It aimed to determine which technique was more effective for treating chronic jugular vein thrombosis experimentally induced and assessed up to 27 days post-procedure.

Introduction and Purpose

  • Chronic jugular vein thrombosis in horses leads to lasting obstruction of the vein, causing problems with blood drainage from the head.
  • Surgical thrombectomy is selectively used to remove these clots, but there is little comparative data on different mechanical techniques for this purpose in horses.
  • This study’s objective was to compare the Fogarty catheter technique alone (FG) and a combined Vollmar ring with Fogarty catheter technique (VFG) for:
    • Effectiveness in restoring blood flow (luminal patency)
    • Maintaining vein openness post-surgery

Methods

  • Study Design:
    • Randomised in vivo experimental study on 10 healthy adult horses.
    • Chronic thrombosis was experimentally induced in the right jugular vein of all horses.
    • Thrombus chronicity was confirmed on Day 13 post-induction (D13).
  • Interventions:
    • 5 horses underwent thrombectomy with Fogarty catheter alone (FG group).
    • 5 horses underwent thrombectomy using combined Vollmar ring plus Fogarty catheter (VFG group).
  • Assessments:
    • Clinical, ultrasonographic, and venographic imaging were performed from D0 to D27.
    • Two phases of analysis:
      • D0-D13: induction and chronicity of thrombus (all 10 horses).
      • D13-D27: post-thrombectomy follow-up (5 horses per intervention group).

Results

  • Intraoperative Findings:
    • Both techniques successfully restored luminal patency during surgery.
    • The combined Vollmar-Fogarty method removed a significantly larger mass of thrombus tissue (32 ± 6 grams) compared to the Fogarty alone (8 ± 2 grams).
  • Postoperative Outcomes:
    • Horses treated with the combined approach (VFG) experienced variable early re-occlusion within 6 hours, with persistent partial obstruction.
    • In the Fogarty-only group (FG), 3 out of 5 horses showed partial but improved venous patency at 14 days (D14).
    • By Day 27 (D27), sustained functional patency was observed in 3 of 5 FG horses but only 1 of 5 VFG horses.
    • Other cases in both groups developed partial recanalisation characterized by tortuous, serpiginous venous channels.
    • Both groups exhibited a progressive decrease in thrombus length over time.
  • Safety:
    • No major intraoperative complications were reported for either technique.

Conclusions and Limitations

  • Both thrombectomy methods effectively re-established venous flow in chronic jugular vein thrombosis in horses.
  • Despite removing less thrombus mass, the Fogarty catheter alone provided more durable venous patency at 27 days post-operation.
  • The combined Vollmar ring-Fogarty approach, although more aggressive in thrombus removal, was associated with earlier re-occlusion and less sustained patency over time.
  • Limitations include:
    • Small sample size (only 10 horses in total, 5 per treatment group), affecting statistical power and generalizability.
    • The use of an experimental thrombus model in healthy horses may not fully represent clinical cases.
    • Imaging assessments were done by a single investigator, though blinded analysis was used to reduce bias.
  • Implication: Additional clinical studies with larger cohorts are needed to better evaluate the efficacy and safety of these thrombectomy techniques for chronic jugular thrombosis in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Pizzigatti D, Alonso JM, Cerqueira NF, Rosa VBB, Rafael LA, Rodrigues CA, Watanabe MJ, Alves ALG, Hussni CA. (2026). Comparison of Fogarty and Vollmar thrombectomy for chronic jugular thrombosis in horses. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1002/evj.70305

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Pizzigatti, Dietrich
  • Equine Development Pole, Northeast Regional University Center (CENUR-Noreste) of the University of the Republic (UdelaR), Melo/Cerro Largo, Uruguay.
Alonso, Juliana de Moura
  • Department of Animal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
Cerqueira, Nereide Freire
  • Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu/SP, Brazil.
Rosa, Vitor Bruno Bianconi
  • Center for Agricultural, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia (UFRB), Cruz das Almas/BA, Brazil.
Rafael, Leandro Americo
  • Veterinary Technician in the Equine Sector, Clinical Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas/RS, Brazil.
Rodrigues, Celso Antonio
  • Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu/SP, Brazil.
Watanabe, Marcos Jun
  • Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu/SP, Brazil.
Alves, Ana Liz Garcia
  • Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu/SP, Brazil.
Hussni, Carlos Alberto
  • Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu/SP, Brazil.

Grant Funding

  • 2011/23467-7 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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