Treatment of tracheal collapse with an intraluminal stent in a miniature horse.

This research presents the successful treatment of tracheal collapse in a young miniature horse using an intraluminal nitinol stent, highlighting it as an effective and minimally invasive option for treating this condition in small and young horses and ponies.

Background

• Tracheal collapse is a severe health issue which can cause difficulties in breathing due to the structural deficiency of the tracheal ring.
• This study documents a case of tracheal collapse in a 7-month-old miniature horse that was presenting symptoms of respiratory distress.

Diagnosis and Treatment

• The tracheal collapse in this horse was located at the level of the thoracic inlet.
• A solution proposed to rectify the problem was the placement of an intraluminal nitinol stent.
• This stent was positioned with the help of endoscopic guidance, which is minimally invasive and allows the precise deployment of the stent.
• The use of the stent resulted in an immediate return of normal respiratory function in the affected horse.

Follow-Up and Complications

• During a 14-month follow-up period, the main complication observed was the growth of granulation tissue through the stent.
• This was addressed and controlled using electrocautery – a medical procedure that uses electric current to remove or coagulate tissue – performed during an endoscopy while the horse was standing.

Implications of Findings

• The results demonstrate that treatment of tracheal collapse with an intraluminal stent can be an effective and minimally invasive procedure in miniature and young horses and ponies.
• Not only the stent placement but its maintenance through managing complications has been successful, thus demonstrating the practicality of the procedure.

Conclusion

• The results suggest that treatment through intraluminal stent placement should be considered for equids suffering from tracheal collapse since it can restore normal respiratory function immediately post-placement and can be controlled and maintained regularly if any complications do occur.