Laryngoplasty in Standing Horses

Introduction
Laryngoplasty is the most commonly used surgical treatment for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) in sport and race horses and is performed with the horse anesthetized in lateral recumbency. The technique was originally reported by Marks et al., 1970. Post-operative loss of abduction and coughing with occasionally dysphagia are well-recognized complication of the procedure. Unilateral or bilateral ventriculectomy (VE) or ventriculo-cordectomy (VCE) is generally performed with laryngoplasty to reduce noise.

Reported clinical efficacy for resolution of exercise intolerance and diminution of abnormal respiratory noise is variable, ranging from 50% to 95%, with a better prognosis for non-race horses.

Laryngoplasty with VE or VCE is an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of competitive hitch draft horse suffering from RLN. However, complications associated with general anesthesia and laryngoplasty, are more frequently reported in draft horses than in light horses under similar conditions. This led to the genesis of adapting the procedure in the standing horse.

We report our experience with a laryngoplasty technique performed in standing horses. We hypothesized that the procedure could be performed with minimal morbidity by using sedation and local anesthesia. The standing procedure would avoid complications related to general anesthesia, allow more accurate assessment of intra-operative abduction and be more economical.  [...]