Racing performance after combined prosthetic laryngoplasty and ipsilateral ventriculocordectomy or partial arytenoidectomy: 135 Thoroughbred racehorses competing at less than 2400 m (1997-2007).

The research article investigates the impact of various surgeries on racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses. It particularly explored the outcome of combined prosthetic laryngoplasty with ipsilateral ventriculocordectomy and partial arytenoidectomy in racehorses affected by varying grades of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) or unilateral arytenoid chondritis (UAC).

Objective and Methodology

• The primary purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of combined prosthetic laryngoplasty with ipsilateral ventriculocordectomy (LPVC) in comparison to partial arytenoidectomy (PA) in treating Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses suffering from RLN and UAC (conditions that obstruct the horses’ upper airway, negatively affecting their racing performance).
• The research aimed to identify whether the severity of RLN has a bearing on the outcomes of LPVC. Another objective was to discern if LPVC and PA yield similar results for grade III RLN, and whether the performance after PA is dependent on the specific diagnosis. It further sought to investigate if LPVC or PA surgeries help horses return to their previous performance levels as compared to the control group.
• The study reviewed medical and racing records of 135 TB racehorses who had undergone either LPVC or PA treatment for grade III or IV RLN or UAC. Age and gender-matched controls’ racing records were also scrutinized as a comparative benchmark.

Findings of the Study

• The research found that horses suffering from grade III RLN showed better performance after LPVC treatment compared to those with grade IV RLN. In contrast, for horses with grade III RLN, the post-operative earning potential turned out to be similar to control levels when treated with LPVC.
• The rate of return to racing was approximately the same for patients treated with LPVC or PA, with the former resulting in higher post-operative earnings. Performance post-PA surgery was similar irrespective of the condition (UAC or RLN), although post-operative earnings for these horses did not match the control levels irrespective of the diagnosis.

Implications and Recommendations

• Based on the study’s findings, the author concludes that LPVC results in substantially better post-operative earnings for TB racehorses with grade III RLN as compared to horses treated for grade IV RLN.
• Despite successful rates of return to racing after either LPVC or PA, the horses treated with LPVC had superior post-surgery earnings, while the earnings after PA treatment remained significantly lower. Particularly in horses suffering from grade III RLN, LPVC proves effective in reinstating their earning potential to match the control levels.
• The study recommends that laryngoplasty should be suggested for all TB racehorses with grade III RLN to optimize their chances of returning to high-level racing. This insight presented contradicts the widespread approach of waiting for complete paralysis before undertaking corrective surgery.