title: Endoscopic, transoral, reduction of epiglottic entrapment via wire snare technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the use of a wire snare technique for epiglottic entrapment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight adult horses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Under general anesthesia, a modified mouth gag was placed in the oropharynx. An endoscope was passed through the gag until there was adequate visualization of the entrapped epiglottis. The entrapping mucosa was grasped with bronchoesophageal forceps and pulled rostrally, releasing the epiglottis. A custom snare was passed down the bronchoesophageal forceps to encircle the redundant subepiglottic mucosa. Tension was applied to the entrapping mucosa via the forceps as the obstetric wire was tightened at the base and the redundant mucosa (aryepiglottic fold) was excised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedure was performed on 8 adult thoroughbred horses. Re-evaluation by endoscopy did not show entrapment in any horse and no horse developed complications or has had problems with performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique is a minimally invasive, competitively priced and straightforward method for resection of entrapping subepiglottic mucosa in adult horses.
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Matthew O D
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Coleridge
authors.forename: Daria L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: DiGiovanni
authors.forename: Dwayne H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rodgerson
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Spirito
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D004825:Epiglottis / Q000601:surgery*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006736:Horses; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000662:veterinary; D016896:Treatment Outcome