and poor performance, particularly in horses involved in strenuous activities such as racing.
In DDSP, the soft palate, which should fit snuggly around the larynx, flips out of position and obstructs the airway, limiting the horse’s ability to breathe.
Various techniques have been used to treat the condition; ranging from the conservative (such as tongue straps, crossed nose bands, glycerine on back of the tongue, treatment of other respiratory problems), to surgery.
Laryngeal tie forward (LTF) is a commonly used surgical treatment for the condition with reported success rates up to 80%. Prosthetic sutures are placed between the thyroid cartilage and the basihyoid bone, to tie the larynx forward and fix it in place to prevent the soft palate dislocating and blocking the airway during exercise.
The operation is typically carried out under general anaesthetic, which involves some risk and expense. It has been suggested also that recovery from general anaesthetic may contribute to failure of the prosthesis (sutures).
Clinicians at the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science have described a series of cases in which they carried out the operation in sedated standing horses.
Natasha E. Lean and colleagues reported the work in a recent issue of Veterinary Surgery.
They performed Standing LTF in five experimental (normal) horses and five clinical cases with iDDSP. The procedure was carried out under endoscopic guidance, with the horses sedated and the surgical site desensitised with local anaesthetic. No major complications were encountered.
The response to surgery was assessed using radiography, and endoscopy.
The authors conclude that standing LTF is “feasible, mitigates the risk of general anesthesia related complications and reduces cost.”
For more details, see:
Laryngeal tie-forward in standing sedated horses
Natasha E Lean, Albert Sole-Guitart, Benjamin J Ahern
Vet Surg (2023) Feb;52(2):229-237.
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