Rossdales surgeon and clinical director Tim Barnett is lead author of a paper published this month in Veterinary Surgery entitled ‘Overground endoscopic examination following laryngeal tie‐forward in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate’.
The study compared overground endoscopy (OGE) findings and racing performance in 56 horses before and after laryngeal tie-forward (LTF) surgery for the treatment of intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (iDDSP).
75% of horses undergoing LTF had no evidence of iDDSP on postoperative OGE, and soft palate thermocaturery (SPTC) did not reduce the incidence further. Horses with reported suspected upper airway impairment postoperatively were more likely to have continued iDDSP. There was a 22% increase in the horses that raced and 18% increase in those that were placed post surgery.
The study showed that laryngeal tie-forward surgery is a successful treatment option for iDDSP in horses. Soft palate thermocautery does not appear to offer additional benefits. Reports of suspected ongoing upper airway impairment would warrant repeat OGE.
Overground endoscopic examination following laryngeal tie-forward in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate
Timothy P. Barnett, Victoria A. Colgate, Lewis C.R. Smith, Safia Z. Barakzai
Veterinary Surgery, 2025 Aug;54(6):1053-1061.doi: 10.1111/vsu.14245. Epub 2025 Mar 18.
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