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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(15); 2276; doi: 10.3390/ani15152276

Surgical Assessment and Post-Operative Complications Following Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) of Horses with Severe Equine Pasture Asthma During Asthma Exacerbation and Remission.

Abstract: The aim of this retrospective clinical study was to assess surgical duration and surgical and post-operative complications associated with Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) and lung biopsy in horses with severe Equine Pasture Asthma (EPA) and paired control horses. Twelve horses (6 EPA-affected, 6 control) were sex, age and breed matched. Twenty-four thoracic surgeries were performed. Surgery of each matched pair (EPA-affected and healthy) was performed during asthma exacerbation (summer) and remission (winter). Surgical times were shorter with uncomplicated thoracoscopy (85 min) and significantly longer ( < 0.001) when intra-operative complications necessitated conversion to thoracotomy (156 min). The overall surgical time of EPA-affected horses during asthma exacerbation was significantly longer than control horses at any time point, predicted mean difference of 78 min ( < 0.05). When comparing EPA-affected horses to themselves during asthma exacerbation and remission, surgical times were significantly longer ( < 0.01) with a predicted mean difference of 98 min; this effect of seasonality did not occur amongst control horses. Intra-operative surgical complications (6/24) were evenly divided between EPA and control horses, however, only severe EPA horses in exacerbation were noted to have lung hyperinflation. Post-operative complications: fever, colic, hemothorax, pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema, surgical site infection, and/or laminitis occurred in 13/24 surgical procedures (54%). No fatalities resulted from these procedures.
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Publication Date: 2025-08-04 PubMed ID: 40805066PubMed Central: PMC12345566DOI: 10.3390/ani15152276Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research study aimed to understand the complexities involved in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in horses suffering from a condition known as Equine Pasture Asthma. The study used surgical timings, intra and post-operative complications as comparison parameters between the affected horses and the healthy ones.

Research Design and Methodology

  • The study included a total of twelve horses, among which six were suffering from Equine Pasture Asthma (EPA) and the rest were healthy. The selection was made considering parameters like sex, age, and breed.
  • For each pair of horses – one suffering from EPA and the other one healthy – two surgeries were performed at different times of the year. One during the summer when Asthma was at its peak (exacerbation) and the other during winter when Asthma was less severe (remission).
  • This resulted in a total of 24 thoracic surgeries. The durations of these surgeries and the complications faced during and after the surgery were used as data points for the study.

Key Findings

  • The surgery times were generally shorter for uncomplicated thoracoscopy which averaged around 85 minutes. However, when complications arose during the operation and it was necessary to convert to thoracotomy, the surgical time significantly increased by approximately 71 minutes.
  • The horses affected by EPA during the time of Asthma exacerbation had significantly longer surgery duration compared to the control horses at any time of the year. The predicted mean difference observed was 78 minutes.
  • In comparison to their own surgical timings during Asthma remission, the EPA-affected horses had significantly longer surgery durations during Asthma exacerbation. The predicted mean difference was 98 minutes. Such seasonal effect on surgical timings did not occur in the control horses.
  • A total of 6 intra-operative complications were observed during the 24 surgical procedures performed. These complications were evenly distributed amongst the EPA affected and control horses. However, only the severe EPA affected horses during exacerbation showed lung hyperinflation.
  • More than half of the surgeries (13 out of 24) resulted in post-operative complications. These included fever, colic, hemothorax, pneumothorax, emphysema under the skin, surgical site infections, and/or laminitis. Despite these complications, none of the surgical procedures resulted in any fatalities.

Summary

The findings from this retrospective clinical study offer important insights into the surgical aspects when dealing with horses suffering from Equine Pasture Asthma. The surgery times and complication rates during Asthma exacerbation periods were notably higher. Therefore, the severity and season of the Asthma should be considered when planning surgical procedures on horses. Despite this, the study also positively indicates that thoracic surgeries – even during exacerbation periods – can be conducted without any fatalities.

Cite This Article

APA
Wenzel CJ, Mochal-King CA, Eddy AL, Bowser JE, Wills RW, Jumper WI, Claude A, Swiderski CE. (2025). 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), 15(15), 2276. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15152276

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 15
PII: 2276

Researcher Affiliations

Wenzel, Caitlin J
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
Mochal-King, Cathleen A
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
Eddy, Alison L
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
Bowser, Jacquelyn E
  • Department of Equine Studies, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Wills, Robert W
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
Jumper, W Isaac
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.
Claude, Andrew
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
Swiderski, Cyprianna E
  • Department of Companion Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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