Assessment of the efficacy of composite surgery for the treatment of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in a group of 53 racing Thoroughbreds (1990-1996).
BACKGROUND
There has been no objectively assessed case-control study of the efficacy of surgery to correct dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) previously reported.


OBJECTIVE
Composite surgery has a beneficial result on racing performance in horses affected with DDSP as compared to a matched control population.


METHODS
Race records were obtained for 53 racing Thoroughbreds which underwent composite staphylectomy, sternothyrohyoideus myectomy and ventriculectomy for correction of idiopathic DDSP at the University of Bristol between 1990 and 1996. Each surgical case was matched for age, sex and training yard with 2 control horses. The racing performance, based on prize money won, of surgical cases and control horses were compared for 3 races run before and after the date of surgery.


RESULTS
Ninety-two percent of the surgical cases returned to racing after surgery. There was a significant increase in earnings of the surgical group before and after surgery (P = 0.011), but there was no significant difference in earnings of the control group before and after the date of surgery (P = 0335). Sixty percent of the surgical group had higher earnings after surgery than before, compared to 40% of controls. When horses which underwent surgery were ranked relative to their 2 matched controls, surgical cases did not significantly change in rank (P = 033), whereas control horses significantly decreased in rank (P = 0.012). Additionally, horses within the surgical group were more likely (P < 0.01) to start in 3 post operative races than those in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Composite surgery had a beneficial effect on racing performance of horses afflicted with idiopathic DDSP, and further studies to evaluate objectively the usefulness of other surgical techniques are warranted.
Barakzai
S Z
SZ
Large Animal Hospital, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Johnson
V S
VS
Baird
D H
DH
Bladon
B
B
Lane
J G
JG
D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004825:Epiglottis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D013177:Sports; D016896:Treatment Outcome