Thoracoscopic-assisted diaphragmatic hernia repair using a thoracic rib resection
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Updated: Aug 4, 2026
Transaxillary First Rib Resection for Treatment of the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Published on: September 13, 2020
E D Malone1, K Farnsworth, T Lennox
1Department of Clinical and Population Sciences, University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Objective:
To describe the surgical treatment of a dorsal diaphragmatic hernia in an adult horse using thoracic rib resection aided by thoracoscopy and a flank incision.
Study Design:
Case report.
Animal Population:
One client-owned horse.
Results:
A six-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding was admitted for colic-associated colonic incarceration in a diaphragmatic hernia. Seven weeks after the initial colic surgery, the gelding underwent surgery to repair the defect. Thoracoscopy and a flank incision were used to identify the location of the hernia and the subsequent site of rib resection. The stomach was adhered to the edges of the defect, leaving only a small residual hole. Resection of the 14th rib provided excellent exposure of the defect and closure of the remaining hernia.
Conclusion And Clinical Relevance:
Thoracic rib resection can provide access to diaphragmatic hernias in adult horses. Thoracoscopy or a flank incision, or both, may aid in determining which rib is best resected.
