Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thoracoscopic-assisted diaphragmatic hernia repair using a thoracic rib resection.
- Journal:
- Veterinary surgery : VS
- Year:
- 2001
- Authors:
- Malone, E D et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical and Population Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A six-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding was brought in because he had colic, which is a type of belly pain, caused by a part of his colon being trapped in a hernia in his diaphragm (the muscle that helps with breathing). After recovering from the initial surgery for colic, he had a second surgery to fix the hernia. The veterinarians used a special camera technique called thoracoscopy and made an incision in his side to find the hernia and remove part of a rib to better access the area. They were able to close the hernia successfully, showing that this method can be effective for treating diaphragmatic hernias in adult horses.
Abstract
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.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11230772/