Thoracoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair in a warmblood mare.

The research article discusses a successful case of using a minimally invasive thoracoscopic technique to repair a diaphragmatic hernia in a sedated horse, which allowed the horse to return to its previous athletic activity and to serve as a broodmare without any long-term complications.

Objective

To present a successful instance of repairing a diaphragmatic hernia in a horse using a thoracoscopic technique under sedation, demonstrating that this approach may reduce risks and recovery time associated with traditional surgery.

Methods

• The subject of the study was an 18-year-old Warmblood mare that presented severe colic due to the strangulation of small intestines in a diaphragmatic defect.
• The initial treatment was traditional colic surgery.
• Twelve days after the surgery, an attempt to repair the diaphragmatic hernia laparoscopically was unsuccessful as the spleen obscured the hernia.
• A week after this, a thoracoscopic procedure was conducted while the horse was standing and sedated.
• The hernia repair was performed using an intrathoracic suture technique.

Results

• The thoracoscopic procedure was successful, with the hernia effectively repaired.
• The mare did not experience any long-term complications for up to 4 years after the procedure.
• The horse was able to return to its original athletic activities, and later served as a broodmare.

Conclusions

• The study demonstrated that diaphragmatic hernias in horses can be repaired using a minimally invasive thoracoscopic procedure carried out while the animal is standing and sedated.
• The technique presented reduces the high risks associated with general anaesthesia, decreases surgical trauma, and facilitates postoperative recovery.