Standing thyroidectomy in 10 horses.

Marcatili, Marco; Voss, Sarah J; Pollock, Patrick J

OBJECTIVE To describe a surgical technique for thyroidectomy in horses with thyroid neoplasia under standing sedation and local anesthesia. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS Client-owned horses (n = 10). METHODS Medical records of horses with a history of thyroid enlargement were included in the study if thyroid gland enlargement was treated surgically via hemi- or bilateral thyroidectomy, with the horse standing and sedated. Data derived from follow-up clinical examination, performance level, recurrence, and cosmetic outcome were evaluated. RESULTS Thyroid enlargement was unilateral in 8 and bilateral in 2 horses. Histopathological findings included adenomas (5/10), adenocarcinomas (2/10), cystic hyperplasia (2/10), and C-cell adenoma (1/10). No major complications were encountered during or after surgery. All horses resumed their previous level of exercise within 6 weeks. Recurrence was diagnosed in 1 horse, 7 months after excision, and a second surgery was required. Recurrent laryngeal nerve neuropathy and seroma formation subsequent to surgery were not recorded in any of the cases. CONCLUSION Thyroidectomy can safely be performed with the horse standing and sedated with local anesthesia. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Performing standing thyroidectomy does not increase intraoperative or postoperative complications and could be considered for horses with thyroid enlargement amenable to surgery.