Surgical structure
The surgery building has two theatres for surgery under general anesthesia (one dedicated to orthopaedic surgery and one dedicated to soft tissue surgery ), a room for standing procedures and three recovery rooms. Two barns are used for hospitalisation (one dedicated to orthopaedic conditions and one dedicated to soft tissue conditions).
Orthopaedic surgery
- Arthroscopy
The majority of joint disease is now treated by arthroscopy. This technique allows to explore the main part of a joint using a camera. The incisions made to place the camera and to remove osteochondral fragments are small which greatly reduces complications. Arthroscopy has also improved the prognosis of septic arthritis (bacterial infection of a joint).
- Osteosynthesis
Surgical treatment of fractures remains a challenge in horses particularly for the long bones. However, improvements in implants and surgical training allow higher success rates. The clinic has an inventory of implants (plates and screws) to treat the different fractures encountered. A large number of treated horses can have an athletic career or a breeding career.
Soft tissue surgery
- Abdominal surgery (colic)
The success of the surgical treatment of colic has increased considerably in recent years. The survival rate in the short term (horses leaving the clinic alive) is around 70% for all horses with colic surgery and about 85% for horses with colic surgery that were not euthanized after abdominal exploration.
The postoperative follow-up of patients is as important as the surgery itself. Most of the horses requires close medical supervision after recovery: perfusion, administration of prokinetics, gradual recharge.
- Respiratory surgery
Respiratory disease is a common cause of non-performance. Improving the diagnosis of these problems by using the dynamic respiratory scope and treadmill examination allows an advancement of the surgical treatments for many conditions: laryngoplasty (tie-back), advancement of the larynx (tie-forward) , arytenoïdectomy, laser surgery of the larynx ...
- Urogenital surgery
One of the most serious problems of broodmares is dystocia. In all cases, early intervention can improve the survival of the mare and foal.
Dystocia received at the clinic are generally managed as follows:
- rapid assessment of the position and size of the foal
- attempting to retrieve the foal on the standing mare
- attempting to retrieve the foal with the mare monitored under general anesthesia: the hind legs are brought up with the winch to facilitate the repositioning of the foal. Meanwhile, the mare is prepared for a caesarean section if failure
- depending on the case, performing a Caesarean section or a foetotomy.
In all cases, a medical team is ready to care for the newborn foal.
The clinic also performs many surgical procedures of the mare (recto-vaginal fistula, urovagina, rectovaginal laceration ...) and of the male horse (amputation of the penis, en bloc resection, postectomy ...)
- Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy uses a camera into the abdomen in order to diagnose and treat specific diseases: Laparoscopic castration, ovariectomy, cryptorchydectomy (removal of a abdominal testicle), closure of the inguinal rings (horses subject to inguinal hernias), closure of the nephrosplenic space (horses subject to nephrosplenic entrapment). The clinic is equipped with a heat fusion device (LigaSure) providing high security for hemostasis of vessels in laparoscopic surgery.
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