Characterisation of palatal dysfunction after laryngoplasty.

Area of Science:

• Equine respiratory science
• Veterinary surgery
• Equine performance diagnostics

Background:

• Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) in horses is typically intermittent during exercise or persistent at rest.
• DDSP has been increasingly reported post-laryngoplasty (LP), leading to poor performance and respiratory noise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) diagnosed in horses following laryngoplasty (LP).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 41 horses that underwent LP over 6 years.
• Overground exercising endoscopy was used to examine horses at rest, walk, trot, and canter.
• GPS watches recorded maximal exercise speeds, and videos analyzed DDSP and swallowing events.

Main Results:

• Nineteen of 41 horses examined post-LP were diagnosed with DDSP during exercise; 7 also showed DDSP at rest.
• DDSP occurred at various times throughout all gaits, with no significant difference in displacement percentage or frequency per gait.
• Swallowing consistently corrected DDSP, which was most commonly spontaneously induced.

Conclusions:

• Dorsal displacement of the soft palate is a common complication following equine laryngoplasty.
• Post-LP DDSP appears to be induced at slower gaits than previously described and occurs throughout exercise.
• Horses undergoing LP may be more susceptible to DDSP, warranting further investigation into palatal dysfunction causes.