Laryngoplasty in standing horses.
Authors: Rossignol Fabrice, Vitte Amélie, Boening Josef, Maher Michael, Lechartier Antoine, Brandenberger Olivier, Martin-Flores Manuel, Lang Hayley, Walker Wade, Ducharme Norm G
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Laryngoplasty in Standing Horses: Editorial Summary Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) causes abnormal respiratory noise and performance loss in horses, and whilst laryngoplasty under general anaesthesia is standard, this multicentre case series evaluated whether the procedure could be safely performed under standing sedation with local analgesia. Seventy-one client-owned horses (predominantly non-racing) with endoscopically confirmed idiopathic unilateral RLN underwent standing laryngoplasty with concurrent ventriculectomy or ventriculocordectomy, with post-operative endoscopic follow-up at 24 hours, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks, plus long-term owner and trainer feedback. All procedures were completed successfully without complications related to hyperabduction, with only two cases of incisional swelling managed conservatively; late follow-up revealed satisfactory respiratory improvement in 68 of 71 horses (96%). The standing approach offers significant advantages over general anaesthesia—eliminating anaesthetic and recovery risks, reducing cost, and permitting real-time adjustment of arytenoid abduction angle under direct visualisation—making it a valuable option for non-racing horses where marginal performance gains may be less critical than in competition animals.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Standing laryngoplasty is a safe, well-tolerated alternative to general anesthesia for treating recurrent laryngeal neuropathy in nonracing horses, with high success rates and minimal complications.
- •The standing approach allows surgeons to fine-tune arytenoid abduction degree in real-time under endoscopic visualization, reducing risk of hyperabduction.
- •Cost and recovery time are substantially reduced compared to general anesthesia procedures, making this technique practical for private practice and lower-value horses.
Key Findings
- •Standing laryngoplasty was successfully completed in all 71 horses with minimal complications (2 cases of incisional swelling only).
- •95.8% of horses (68/71) demonstrated satisfactory improvement in respiration at late follow-up.
- •Standing technique eliminated hyperabduction complications and allowed accurate real-time intraoperative adjustment of arytenoid abduction.
- •Standing laryngoplasty avoids general anesthesia and recovery risks while achieving comparable surgical outcomes to recumbent procedures in nonracing horses.