Primary closure of equine laryngotomy incisions: a review of 42 cases.

The research focuses on how equine laryngotomy incisions (surgical cuts in horse’s larynx) can be essentially closed using various procedures, and examines the complications that arise from these procedures. The findings suggest that primary closure can be performed with most horses recovering without follow-up surgical intervention.

Research Methodology and Findings

• The study involved primary closure of laryngotomy incisions on 42 horses following various surgical procedures including staphylectomy (surgical removal of part of the soft palate), ventriculectomy (removal of ventricle of the larynx), cordectomy (removal of vocal cord), resection of the palatopharyngeal arch, and subepiglottal cyst removal.
• Complications, such as subcutaneous emphysema (gas or air trapped under the skin), incisional discharge, postoperative fever, incisional abscessation (collection of pus in the incision area), incisional seroma (accumulation of fluid in the incision area), and subcutaneous edema (swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body’s tissues), were found in 22 horses. However, only 8 horses (19%) required additional procedures for the incisions to heal.
• Various factors including the administration of antibiotics or nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, use of antibiotic lavage or drains, type of suture material and suture pattern, were not significantly linked to the occurrence of incisional complications.

Key Conclusions

• Horses that experienced complications had significantly shorter surgical times, suggesting a potential correlation between the length of the procedure and the likelihood of complications.
• The surgical expertise was related to lesser complications but didn’t significantly impact the frequency of complications needing intervention.
• The results of this study underscore that most equine laryngotomy incisions can be closed primarily and will heal without the requirement for further surgical procedures. This is an important finding for the field of veterinary surgery, indicating the general success of these closure procedures and the low rate of necessary follow-up interventions.