A technique has been developed for bilateral sinus disease in the horse by David Freeman, MVB, PhD, DACVS, Professor and Chief of the UF Large Animal Surgery Service; at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine.
Bilateral sinus disease in horses is rare, but, before this procedure was developed, such cases had to be treated through two sinus flaps, one on each side of the horse’s head. In some horses, one sinus had to be treated weeks or months after the first sinus had been treated by surgery. The procedure developed by Freeman involves making a single flap that opens the right and left sinus cavities simultaneously.
Surgeons at the University of Florida have used this procedure to treat bilateral mucous-filled cysts and bilateral ethmoid hematomas. An ethmoid hematoma is caused by a mass of tissue that develops in the sinus composed mostly of a mature blood clot surrounded by a membrane.
This novel procedure allows excellent access to right and left paranasal sinuses and can treat severe sinus diseases in one surgery. The procedure is performed with the horse standing, with local anesthesia and sedation, so that bleeding is reduced during surgery and general anesthesia is avoided.
For more information, contact the UF Large Animal Hospital at 352-392-2229.
