References
Common equine upper respiratory tract surgery: a nurse's perspective
Abstract
There is little published information on upper respiratory tract (URT) surgery in horses directed at veterinary nurses. This article outlines common URT surgeries in equine practice; a brief description of the pathology that requires surgical correction, surgery details that the nurse needs to be aware of and the postoperative care required for each surgery.
Upper respiratory tract (URT) surgery is common in equine practice. Horses with URT issues often present to the clinic with a history of poor performance or the presence of an abnormal respiratory noise (whistle/roar/gurgle) during exercise.
In working up these cases, a full history is obtained, a comprehensive physical examination is performed with particular attention given to the upper portion of the respiratory tract, and standing/resting endoscopy or overground endoscopy (OGE) is performed. Figure 1 is an image of a normal larynx at exercise. In some cases, abnormalities, e.g. subepiglottic cysts, can be diagnosed by resting endoscopy, but further assessment of complex abnormalities by OGE allows the veterinary surgeon (VS) to assess the function of the pharynx and larynx while the horse is under strenuous exercise (Barnett et al, 2015).
The common URT surgeries discussed in this article are
A brief description of the pathology that requires surgical correction will be discussed, surgery details that the nurse needs to be aware of, and the postoperative care required for each surgery.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting The Veterinary Nurse and reading some of our peer-reviewed content for veterinary professionals. To continue reading this article, please register today.