Possibilities and limitations of minimal invasiv surgery in upper airway diseases of the horse

Through the use of transendoscopic operative techniques (minimal invasiv surgery) it is possible to reduce the risks associated with surgical procedures of the upper respiratory tract. It is, however, not possible to satisfactorily treat all cases with this technique. The technique is expensive, and involves the use of an endoscope with a video system, various transendoscopic instruments, a high-frequency generator and a surgical laser. Its application in the upper respiratory tract includes the treatment of diseases of the nasal passages, the ethmoid turbinates and the sinuses, as well as the guttural pouches, the pharynx and the larynx. Transendoscopic surgery is particularly well suited for the treatment of small nasal passages tumors and ethmoid hematomas, in the therapy of guttural pouch abscess, tympany and mycosis and in the removal of subepiglottic cysts. In the treatment of the dorsal displacement of the soft palate and in epiglottic entrapment the transendoscopic operative technique represents a sound alternative to conventional surgical techniques. The endoscopic, partial resection of the vocal fold in the case of Hemiplegia laryngis represents an uncomplicated addition to the already established techniques (ventriculectomy and laryngoplasty), through which in many cases, a sufficient increase in performance can be achieved.