Comparisons Between Staphylectomy and Tie-Forward Procedures in Combination with a Sternothyroideus Myotenectomy for the Treatment of Intermittent Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate: An Observational Study.
Authors: Carmalt James L, Johanssen Bengt, Waldner Cheryl
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary Intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (IDDSP) represents a significant upper airway obstruction in performance horses, yet optimal surgical management remains debated. Carmalt and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of 56 Swedish Warmblood trotters with endoscopically confirmed IDDSP and 48 control horses with normal airways, comparing postoperative racing performance between horses treated with staphylectomy versus tie-forward procedures (both combined with sternothyroideus myotenectomy), using generalised estimating equations to account for repeated measurements over time. Contrary to expectations, surgically treated IDDSP horses demonstrated no significant difference in race speed compared to unaffected controls at any timepoint, and—critically—no meaningful difference emerged between the two surgical techniques in terms of postoperative racing speed, percentage returning to competition, career race starts, or lifetime earnings. These findings suggest that whilst surgery may be necessary to manage IDDSP diagnostically, choice of surgical approach should be guided by individual anatomical considerations and surgeon familiarity rather than presumed performance advantages, as both staphylectomy and tie-forward procedures appear equally effective at restoring competitive function in trotters.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Choice between staphylectomy and tie-forward procedures can be based on surgeon preference and experience, as both techniques yield equivalent functional outcomes in racing Standardbreds
- •Horses surgically treated for confirmed IDDSP achieve racing performance comparable to control horses without airway disease, suggesting both procedures are effective
- •When counselling owners on IDDSP surgery, both techniques can be presented as having similar success rates for return to racing and career earnings potential
Key Findings
- •No significant difference in race speed between IDDSP-treated horses and control horses at any time point post-surgery
- •Staphylectomy and tie-forward procedures showed equivalent postoperative outcomes with no difference in return-to-racing rates, career race starts, or earnings
- •Both surgical techniques resulted in similar performance metrics, providing no evidence to favour one procedure over the other for IDDSP treatment