Standing thyroidectomy in 10 horses.
Abstract: To describe a surgical technique for thyroidectomy in horses with thyroid neoplasia under standing sedation and local anesthesia. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Client-owned horses (n = 10). Methods: Medical records of horses with a history of thyroid enlargement were included in the study if thyroid gland enlargement was treated surgically via hemi- or bilateral thyroidectomy, with the horse standing and sedated. Data derived from follow-up clinical examination, performance level, recurrence, and cosmetic outcome were evaluated. Results: Thyroid enlargement was unilateral in 8 and bilateral in 2 horses. Histopathological findings included adenomas (5/10), adenocarcinomas (2/10), cystic hyperplasia (2/10), and C-cell adenoma (1/10). No major complications were encountered during or after surgery. All horses resumed their previous level of exercise within 6 weeks. Recurrence was diagnosed in 1 horse, 7 months after excision, and a second surgery was required. Recurrent laryngeal nerve neuropathy and seroma formation subsequent to surgery were not recorded in any of the cases. Conclusions: Thyroidectomy can safely be performed with the horse standing and sedated with local anesthesia. Conclusions: Performing standing thyroidectomy does not increase intraoperative or postoperative complications and could be considered for horses with thyroid enlargement amenable to surgery.
© 2017 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Publication Date: 2017-11-08 PubMed ID: 29114900DOI: 10.1111/vsu.12744Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Clinical Examination
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Signs
- Clinical Study
- Disease Treatment
- Equine Health
- Histopathology
- Horses
- Local Anaesthesia
- Neoplasm
- Post-Operative Period
- Retrospective Study
- Sedation
- Surgery
- Thyroid Gland
- Thyroid Hormones
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Practice
- Veterinary Procedure
Summary
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This research examined the feasibility and outcomes of a new surgical method for treating thyroid enlargement in horses. This method, called standing thyroidectomy, involves operating on a sedated but still-standing horse under local anesthesia.
Methods
- The study looked retrospectively at client-owned horses (n = 10) that had undergone standing thyroidectomy due to thyroid enlargement.
- The thyroid enlargement could have been treated surgically via hemi- or bilateral thyroidectomy, i.e., either through the removal of one or both parts of the thyroid gland, but always with the horse standing and sedated.
- Follow-up clinical examination data, performance level of the horse, recurrence of thyroid enlargement, and cosmetic outcomes (visual appearance post-surgery) were evaluated.
Results
- The enlargement was unilateral (one-sided) in 8 horses and bilateral (both sides) in 2 horses.
- The cause of the enlargement varied across the horses: Histopathological findings showed adenomas in 5 horses, adenocarcinomas in 2 horses, cystic hyperplasia in 2 horses, and C-cell adenoma in 1 horse.
- No major complications were encountered during or after the surgery.
- All horses were able to return to their previous level of exercise within 6 weeks post surgery.
- One horse had recurrence of the thyroid enlargement 7 months after the surgery and hence, required a second surgery.
- There were no recorded cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve neuropathy (nerve damage leading to voice changes and difficulty swallowing) or seroma formation (collection of serous fluid in a pocket under the surface of the skin) following the surgery.
Conclusions
- The research concluded that it is safe and effective to perform thyroidectomy with the horse standing and sedated with local anesthesia.
- There is no increased risk of complications during or after the surgery when using the standing thyroidectomy method.
- Hence, standing thyroidectomy is a viable surgical treatment to consider for horses with thyroid enlargement that is amenable to surgery.
Cite This Article
APA
Marcatili M, Voss SJ, Pollock PJ.
(2017).
Standing thyroidectomy in 10 horses.
Vet Surg, 47(1), 86-92.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.12744 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Division of Equine Clinical Sciences, Weipers Centre Equine Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
- Pool House Equine Clinic, Crown Inn Farm, Lichfield, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
- Division of Equine Clinical Sciences, Weipers Centre Equine Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
- Surgery Department, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland.
MeSH Terms
- Adenocarcinoma / surgery
- Adenocarcinoma / veterinary
- Adenoma / surgery
- Adenoma / veterinary
- Animals
- Female
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Male
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / surgery
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / veterinary
- Postoperative Complications / veterinary
- Posture
- Retrospective Studies
- Seroma
- Thyroid Neoplasms / surgery
- Thyroid Neoplasms / veterinary
- Thyroidectomy / methods
- Thyroidectomy / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Brown K, Williams Louie E, Pinn-Woodcock T, Pearson E, Pearson GB, Marr J, Hackett ES, Rath Brown L, Mitchell KJ. Cardiac Disease Related to Primary Hyperthyroidism in a 20-Year-Old Mule. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jun 1;14(11).
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