Sternothyroideus myotomy, staphylectomy, and oral caudal soft palate photothermoplasty for treatment of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in 102 thoroughbred racehorses.

This research focused on assessing the effectiveness of sternothyroideus myotomy, staphylectomy, and oral caudal soft palate photothermoplasty as a treatment for Thoroughbred racehorses experiencing dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP). The results indicated improved racing performance in treated horses.

Research Methodology

• The study was conducted retrospectively on Thoroughbred racehorses (n=102) that were diagnosed with intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP).
• Data collected included information about each horse’s unique physical attributes (signalment), the main complaint, and examination results of the upper respiratory tract using endoscopy.
• Lifetime race records were compared, focusing on earnings per start before and after surgery, time taken to return to racing after surgery (days to 1st start), and the number of post-surgery races won.

Results

• The comparison of the average earnings per start for 3 races before and after surgery showed an increase from 2792 dollars before to 3806 dollars after the surgery.
• It was observed that the racing performance improved significantly post-surgery in 63% of the horses that had competed at least once before and after the surgery.
• The average and median duration for the horses to start racing post-surgery were reported to be 109 and 69 days, respectively.
• After surgery, 65% of horses that raced won at least one race, and 77% participated in more than 5 races.

Conclusions

• The routine of sternothyroideus myotomy, staphylectomy, and oral caudal soft palate photothermoplasty significantly enhanced racing performance in Thoroughbred racehorses that were experiencing performance limiting DDSP.
• The outcomes were similar to other commonly reported surgical treatments for DDSP, showing an overall positive impact.
• The study also suggested that these surgical procedures should be considered as potential treatments for DDSP in Thoroughbred racehorses.
• However, there was also the implication that performing staphylectomy might not be essential to achieving a favorable outcome, hence more research might be needed in this aspect.