Safety and efficacy of a technique for thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection in horses.
Abstract: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection in horses. Methods: 10 horses (5 control horses and 5 horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction [ie, heaves]). Methods: Each horse underwent a thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection. Before, during, and after surgery, heart rate, respiratory rate, arterial blood gases, and systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures were measured. Physical examination, CBC, and thoracic radiography and ultrasonography were performed 24 hours before and 2 and 48 hours after surgery. Pulmonary specimens were assessed by histologic examination. A second thoracoscopic procedure 14 days later was used to evaluate the resection site. Results: The technique provided excellent specimens for histologic evaluation of the lung. Heart and respiratory rates decreased significantly after horses were administered sedatives. A significant transient decrease in Pao2 was detected immediately after pulmonary wedge resection, but we did not detect significant effects on arterial pH, Paco2, or mean arterial and pulmonary arterial pressures. All horses except 1 were clinically normal after thoracoscopic surgery; that horse developed hemothorax attributable to iatrogenic injury to the diaphragm. The second thoracoscopy revealed minimal inflammation, and there were no adhesions. Conclusions: Thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection provides a minimally invasive method for use in obtaining specimens of lung tissues from healthy horses and those with lung disease. This technique may be useful for the diagnosis of diseases of the lungs and thoracic cavity.
Publication Date: 2002-09-13 PubMed ID: 12224852DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2002.63.1232Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Biopsy
- Clinical Examination
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Equine Health
- Histology
- Histopathology
- Horses
- Lung Health
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Post-Operative Period
- Pulmonary Health
- Recurrent Airway Obstruction
- Respiratory Health
- Surgery
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Procedure
Summary
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The study investigates the safety and effectiveness of a minimally invasive surgical technique called thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection in horses. It examines both healthy horses and horses with recurrent airway obstruction.
Methodology
- The study involved 10 horses, dividing them into two groups of five each. One group consisted of control horses (healthy) and the other had horses diagnosed with recurrent airway obstruction, also known as ‘heaves’.
- Each horse underwent a thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection, a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed with the help of a thoracoscope. This procedure involves resecting (or removing) a wedged-shaped piece of lung tissue.
- The horses’ heart rates, respiratory rates, arterial blood gases, and both systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures were monitored before, during, and after the surgery. Additionally, a complete blood count (CBC), thoracic radiography, and ultrasonography were conducted 24 hours before, and then 2 and 48 hours after the operation.
- The excised lung specimens were subjected to histological examination for cellular study and diagnosis.
- A second thoracoscopic procedure was performed 14 days later to evaluate the surgical site.
Results
- The technique was effective in providing excellent lung specimens for histologic evaluation, supporting its use for diagnostic purposes.
- Sedatives significantly lowered heart and respiratory rates of the horses.
- A significant but transient decrease in partial pressure of oxygen (Pao2) was observed immediately after the lung tissue removal. However, the surgery did not have significant effects on the arterial pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Paco2), or the systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures.
- Almost all horses were clinically normal after the procedure, with one exception where the horse developed hemothorax due to an unintended injury to the diaphragm during the surgery.
- The follow-up thoracoscopy showed minimal inflammation at the surgical site and there were no adhesions.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection is a minimally invasive and safe method to obtain lung tissues samples from both healthy and diseased horses.
- This method can be useful in the diagnosis of lung and thoracic cavity diseases in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Lugo J, Stick JA, Peroni J, Harkema JR, Derksen FJ, Robinson NE.
(2002).
Safety and efficacy of a technique for thoracoscopically guided pulmonary wedge resection in horses.
Am J Vet Res, 63(9), 1232-1240.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.2002.63.1232 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1314, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
- Female
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Lung / physiology
- Lung / surgery
- Male
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / surgery
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / veterinary
- Thoracoscopy / adverse effects
- Thoracoscopy / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Woodrow JS, Sheats MK, Cooper B, Bayless R. Asthma: The Use of Animal Models and Their Translational Utility. Cells 2023 Apr 5;12(7).
- Bullone M, Vargas A, Elce Y, Martin JG, Lavoie JP. Fluticasone/salmeterol reduces remodelling and neutrophilic inflammation in severe equine asthma. Sci Rep 2017 Aug 18;7(1):8843.
- Wenzel CJ, Mochal-King CA, Eddy AL, Bowser JE, Wills RW, Jumper WI, Claude A, Swiderski CE. Surgical Assessment and Post-Operative Complications Following Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) of Horses with Severe Equine Pasture Asthma During Asthma Exacerbation and Remission. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 4;15(15).
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