Using quarterly earnings to assess racing performance in 66 thoroughbreds after transendoscopic laser surgery for treatment of epiglottic entrapment.
Authors: Kieffer Philip J, Aceto Helen, Stefanovski Darko, Parente Eric J
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary Epiglottic entrapment (EE) is a known cause of upper airway obstruction in racing Thoroughbreds, but long-term performance outcomes following transendoscopic laser surgery had not been rigorously quantified. This retrospective cohort study examined 66 horses treated surgically against 132 matched untreated controls, tracking race starts and earnings quarterly for up to one year postsurgery to establish whether surgical intervention restored competitive performance. Treated horses performed significantly worse in their final race before surgery and showed reduced race activity and earnings in the first quarter post-operatively (P<0.001), but by the second quarter onwards, their race starts and earnings were statistically equivalent to control horses, suggesting substantial functional recovery. A subset requiring subepiglottic membrane resection continued to race less frequently than untreated horses throughout follow-up, though earnings remained comparable, indicating that entrapment severity—reflected in the need for resection—may limit return to full racing frequency despite adequate financial returns. Clinically, this supports cautious optimism for surgical candidates with simple EE, whilst horses requiring membrane resection should be counselled that reduced racing frequency is likely, though competitive earning potential need not be compromised.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Most racehorses treated with transendoscopic laser surgery for epiglottic entrapment return to competitive performance levels comparable to untreated horses by quarter 2 post-surgery, though expect reduced activity in quarter 1
- •Cases requiring subepiglottic membrane resection may have a slower return to racing frequency, warranting adjusted expectations for recovery timeline in these horses
- •Surgery appears effective for performance recovery in the majority of cases, but individual results vary based on the complexity of the entrapment
Key Findings
- •Treated horses performed significantly worse than untreated cohorts in their last pre-surgery race (P=0.002)
- •In the first quarter post-surgery, treated horses raced fewer times (P<0.001) and earned less money (P<0.001) compared to untreated horses
- •By the second quarter post-surgery, quarterly earnings and starts did not differ between treated and untreated groups
- •Horses requiring subepiglottic membrane resection raced fewer times post-operatively (P=0.001) without significant difference in earnings