Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tracheal perforation managed by temporary tracheostomy in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the South African Veterinary Association
- Year:
- 2005
- Authors:
- Saulez, M N et al.
- Affiliation:
- Hagyard Equine Medical Institute · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding had a serious injury where a small tear developed in his trachea, which is the tube that carries air to the lungs. This injury caused him to have trouble breathing because of a blockage in his upper airway. To help him breathe better, veterinarians performed a temporary procedure to create an opening in his neck below the tear. This allowed air to bypass the damaged area and helped his injury heal. After careful treatment, the horse made a full recovery.
Abstract
Tracheal trauma with resultant rupture is uncommonly reported in veterinary literature. We report the case of a 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that sustained a 1 cm longitudinal perforation of the dorsal tracheal membrane in the proximal cervical region. The horse subsequently developed dyspnoea due to acute upper respiratory obstruction secondary to severe emphysema of the guttural pouches. A temporary tracheostomy caudal to the site of tracheal perforation was performed under local anaesthesia. This procedure helped relieve the upper airway obstruction and aided resolution of the injury by diverting air away from the site of tracheal perforation. After conservative management, the gelding recovered completely.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16108532/