The effect of recurrent laryngeal neurectomy in conjunction with laryngoplasty and unilateral ventriculocordectomy in thoroughbred racehorses.
Authors: Davenport C L, Tulleners E P, Parente E J
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Recurrent Laryngeal Neurectomy Combined with Laryngoplasty in Thoroughbreds: Limited Benefit for Racing Performance Horses with severe (grade III) left laryngeal hemiparesis represent a significant clinical challenge, and surgical combinations involving laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy are commonly used to restore upper airway function; this retrospective review examined whether adding recurrent laryngeal neurectomy (RLN) to these procedures enhanced postoperative racing performance in 55 Thoroughbreds treated between 1993 and 1996. The researchers compared subjective assessments from owners and trainers alongside objective racing performance indices calculated from the three races before and after surgery in horses that received the combined procedure (n=39) versus laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy alone (n=16). Although subjective reports suggested improvement in roughly half of RLN-treated horses (19 of 38 respondents), objective performance indices improved in only 18 of the 39 RLN horses compared to 6 of 16 horses without RLN—a difference that was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that whilst laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy may benefit some horses with severe laryngeal dysfunction, the additional morbidity of RLN is not justified by measurable improvements in racing metrics, and practitioners should consider whether this more invasive combination truly offers clinically meaningful advantages over the less destructive procedure alone.
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Practical Takeaways
- •RLN does not provide additional benefit over laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy alone for horses with grade III laryngeal hemiparesis—consider omitting RLN to avoid denervation complications
- •Approximately half of treated horses show objective racing performance improvement regardless of RLN status; set realistic expectations with owners that surgery may not restore pre-disease performance
- •Owner/trainer subjective impressions of improvement are unreliable; use objective performance data (racing times, placings) to counsel clients on realistic outcomes
Key Findings
- •39 horses underwent RLN with laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy; 19 showed improved performance, 16 unchanged, 3 declined on subjective assessment
- •Performance index scores improved in 18 of 39 RLN horses versus 6 of 16 non-RLN horses with no statistically significant difference between groups
- •Subjective owner/trainer reports showed higher apparent success rate (50% improved) than objective racing performance metrics (46% improved) in RLN group
- •Addition of RLN to laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy did not significantly improve postoperative racing performance in grade III laryngeal hemiparesis