Removal of a retropharyngeal foreign body in a horse, with the aid of ultrasonography during surgery.
Abstract: Diagnostic ultrasonography was used during surgery to assist in the removal of a piece of wire from the retropharyngeal region. A 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare was referred with dysphagia of 2 days' duration. Radiography revealed a 9-cm piece of wire located caudodorsal to the larynx. A ventral surgical approach was performed, dissecting along the right side of the larynx and trachea. The surgical field was filled with 0.85% sterile physiologic saline solution. A 5 MHz-mm sector scanner probe immersed in the fluid was able to locate the wire and facilitate the direction and depth of dissection to where the wire was identified and removed.
Publication Date: 1989-05-01 PubMed ID: 2656612
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Summary
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The research presents a surgical case of removing a 9-cm piece of wire lodged in the retropharyngeal region of a horse, effectively performed with the assistance of diagnostic ultrasonography.
Clinical Background
- The patients was a 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare who was exhibiting dysphagia symptoms, meaning difficulty in swallowing, lasting for two days.
- Upon performing a radiography, a 9-cm long piece of wire was identified in the horse’s retropharyngeal region, located in the caudodorsal direction (rear and upward) relative to the larynx.
Surgical Procedure and Role of Ultrasonography
- The equine surgeons operated on the mare using a ventral approach, dissecting along the right side of the horse’s larynx and trachea to reach the retropharyngeal region.
- The operating field was filled with a 0.85% sterile physiologic saline solution which is commonly used to maintain an antiseptic environment for surgical procedures.
- A 5 MHz-mm sector scanner probe, an ultrasonography device, was submerged into the saline solution. The use of ultrasonography in this context was innovative and greatly beneficial, as these devices are typically used for imaging soft tissues.
- The ultrasonography device was employed to successfully locate the wire within the mare’s retropharyngeal area. By providing an accurate picture of the wire’s location, the ultrasound greatly facilitated the surgical process by guiding the surgeons to move in the right direction and at the correct depth of dissection. This helped in avoiding unnecessary damage to the surrounding tissues during the removal of the wire.
Outcome of the Operation
- The use of ultrasonography as an intraoperative tool positively influenced the outcome of the operation. The surgeons were able to safely and effectively remove the foreign object from the horse’s retropharyngeal region.
Implications
- This research showcases an effective method of using diagnostic ultrasonography as an aid in veterinary surgical procedures which require precision and careful dissection.
- The use of ultrasound in such cases can significantly minimise tissue damage and improve the overall surgery success rates.
Cite This Article
APA
French DA, Pharr JW, Fretz PB.
(1989).
Removal of a retropharyngeal foreign body in a horse, with the aid of ultrasonography during surgery.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 194(9), 1315-1316.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Anesthesiology, Radiology, and Surgery, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Foreign Bodies / diagnostic imaging
- Foreign Bodies / surgery
- Foreign Bodies / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Pharynx
- Radiography
- Ultrasonography / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Rahmani Shahraki A, Raisi A. Surgical treatment of a penetrated metallic foreign body in the oral cavity wall of a mare.. Vet Res Forum 2019 Spring;10(2):177-179.
- Fuller MC, Abutarbush SM. Glossitis and tongue trauma subsequent to administration of an oral medication, using an udder infusion cannula, in a horse.. Can Vet J 2007 Aug;48(8):845-7.
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