Standing Laryngoplasty Cheaper, Safer Than Classic Method

A procedure to correct a paralyzed larynx has fewer risks if it’s performed in a standing horse, French researchers say.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

A procedure to correct a paralyzed larynx has fewer risks if it’s performed in a standing, sedated horse with the aid of local anesthesia, French researchers have learned.

Equine surgeons typically perform laryngoplasty, a surgery that reinforces paralyzed vocal folds and repositions paralyzed laryngeal cartilage, in anesthetized horses lying on their sides or backs. But new studies show that surgeons can do the same operation—also called “tie-back” surgery—on standing horses with local anesthesia. And the results seem better for both horse and owner, especially for very large sport horses, said Fabrice Rossignol, PhD, DVM, Dipl. ECVS, equine surgery specialist at the Grosbois Equine Clinic, in Boissy Saint Léger.

“Anatomically, everything falls into its correct position when the horse is standing erect, so it makes our intervention far more precise,” Rossignol said.

In the larynx, a small pair of pyramid-shaped cartilage structures (the arytenoid cartilages) and the vocal folds open (abduct) and close (adduct) to allow for breathing, swallowing, and vocalization. Sometimes, however, one of these cartilages (usually the left one) can become paralyzed, in a condition known as recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN). Affected horses often have noisy breathing—also called “roaring”—and reduced performance

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
297 votes · 297 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!