Parotid duct laceration repair in two horses.

This study details techniques employed in repairing parotid duct lacerations in two horses utilizing intraluminal silastic tubing as a stent.

Introduction

The research study highlights the repair procedure of parotid duct lacerations in two horses using an innovative technique that involves the use of intraluminal silastic tubing as a stent. Parotid duct lacerations occurred traumatically in the first horse and iatrogenically in the second horse after the removal of a sialolith resulted in an infection within the duct.

Procedure

• The surgical approach entailed passing a silastic tube retrograde into the parotid duct via the salivary papilla in both cases. This process was followed by directing the tube past the wound until the end lay rostroventral to the parotid salivary gland.
• The damaged salivary duct and the wounds were sutured carefully. The tube’s external portion, on the other hand, was sutured to the skin and left in place which allowed the area to heal properly.

Outcomes

• In the first instance, the procedure and recovery were uneventful, indicating successful implementation of the technique.
• However, in the second case, a salivary duct/cutaneous fistula incidentally formed at a wound located distant from the sutured wound. This situation resolved spontaneously without further intervention.

Distinctiveness of the Technique

• The study’s authors highlight the uniqueness of their implementation by comparing it to a similar well-documented technique. This novel technique is unusual in that the stent tube, instead of remaining inside the oral cavity as in other techniques, exits the oral cavity and is then attached to the outer skin surface.

Conclusion

In essence, this novel technique to repair parotid duct lacerations in horses using silastic tubing as a stent demonstrated promising results. Despite a minor complication in one of the cases, the method affirmed its applicability for similar situations. Nevertheless, further studies are suggested to validate and standardize this novel technique.