Wrapping it up

I can’t believe how quickly my time at Cleveland Equine has passed! During my final week, Dr. Robertson came in twice for surgeries. He performed two tie-back surgeries and one tie-forward. Tie-backs are used to treat laryngreal hemiplegia or “roaring”.  Roaring is a result of the paralysis of one or both of the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx (the left arytenoid is the most commonly affected.) The paralysis prevents the larynx from fully opening when the horse breathes, which can cause poor performance and a hoarse “roar” during exercise. The tie-back surgery uses a heavy suture anchored in the muscular process to hold the affected arytenoid open. Dr. Robertson also performs a unilateral ventriculocordectomy with the tie-back. This procedure removes the vocal cord and ventricle on the affected side to create more room within the airway.

            The tie-forward procedure is performed as a treatment for dorsal displacement of the soft palate. As I have written about a couple times, there are many treatments for this condition such as lasering the soft palate or performing a myectomy. Tie-forwards are generally more successful, but more invasive and expensive because it requires general anesthesia. In this procedure a strong suture is strung through the basihyoid bone and the larynx, then tightened to bring the two structures closer together. By elevating and bringing the larynx forward, the epiglottis creates a tighter seal with the soft palate, which prevents future displacement.

            Both Dr. Paradine and Dr. Berthold took time out of their busy schedules this last week to give me some practice with joint injections. Dr. Paradine pulled out the old stud kept at the clinic for teaching purposes and guided my through injecting the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints of the hock as well as the fetlock joints. On my first tries, I gained a better understanding of what “incorrect” felt like, but I was able to successfully inject at least one of each joint. All that practice paid off when Dr. Berthold had me inject the same two lower joints on his daughter’s riding horse; I was able to do so with very little trouble. He then showed me how to inject the stifle joint and had me give it a try.
            I can’t believe how incredibly supportive and welcoming the doctors and entire staff have been here at Cleveland Equine. They truly made my summer experience remarkable; I can’t believe how much I learned in such a short period of time. Whether it was on the road or in the clinic, each vet I worked with took the time to answer my questions and offer helpful pieces of advice. I cannot think of any better way to spend a summer.