128
46TH
ANNUAL
CONGRESS
OF
THE
SAEVA
SKUKUZA
16-‐20
FEBRUARY
2014
Minimally Invasive Surgery for
Kissing Spines
Bruce Bladon Cert EP DESTS Dipl ECVS, Specialist in Equine Surgery, Donnington Grove
Veterinary Surgery Newbury, UK , [email protected]
In 2008 I presented our results of surgery for Kissing Spines to the SAEVA meeting
in Berg en Dal. The conclusions were that surgery for Kissing Spines was
surprisingly effective, despite the absence of clear objective diagnostic criteria. Of
the 29 procedures on 27 horses at Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery 17 (63%)
were considered a complete success by connections. These were athletic horses
returning to the same level of competition. The case series included 7 racehorses of
which one (flat) horse raced at a lower level, one (National Hunt) horse developed
carpal osteo-arthritis and one (National Hunt) was not re-trained (qualified
successes). Four (57%) are considered unqualified successes, have returned to racing,
and include a flat horse rated 109 and three National Hunt horses.
At this stage standing surgery had been adopted, and the procedure was performed
by a “less invasive” technique, with a series of single incisions over each spinous
process for resection. The advantages of standing surgery were also discussed.
Along with the reduction in anaesthetic mortality, surgery is actually easier.
Orientation is more straightforward and haemorrhage is reduced. We have not
performed any procedures under general anaesthesia since 2008.
The key step forward since 2008 has been the development of the minimally invasive
surgery [1]. This surgical procedure was described and compared with medication
of the inter spinous processes. The conclusion of the paper was that surgery was
more effective than medication an