• Timothy P Barnett, John Mark O'Leary, Timothy D H Parkin, Padraic M Dixon, and Safia Z Barakzai.
• Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, UK. timothy.barnett@ed.ac.uk
• Vet Surg. 2013 Apr 1; 42 (3): 291-5.

ObjectivesTo (1) assess long-term maintenance of arytenoid cartilage abduction (ACA) after laryngoplasty (LP); and (2) correlate the residual grade of ACA and postoperative abductory loss with arytenoid cartilage stability (ACS) during exercise.Study DesignCase series.AnimalsHorses re-examined after laryngoplasty (n = 33).MethodsOf 89 LP horses (2005-2010), 33 had historic ACA data available and upper airway endoscopy at rest and during over-ground exercise (mean, 33 months; range, 4-71 months) after surgery. ACA grade at 1 and 6 weeks postoperatively were correlated to long-term ACA grade. Effects of long-term ACA grade and magnitude of postoperative abductory loss on ACS during exercise were investigated.ResultsMedian ACA grade at 1 week (n = 33) was 2, reducing to grade 3 by week 6 (n = 16). Grade 3 abduction was maintained in the long-term. Correlation between ACA at 1 week and the long-term was poor (ρ = .43, P = .1), but there was good correlation between week 6 and long-term (ρ = .89, P < .001). Arytenoid cartilage instability was observed during exercise in 7/33 of horses, and not significantly associated with the ACA grade (P = .50), or the number of grades of ACA lost (P = .64).ConclusionsLimited abductory loss occurs after 6 weeks postoperatively. Resting ACA grade was not a useful predictor of ACS during exercise.© Copyright 2013 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

19 keywords...

hide…