Any information on the operation for PSD???

There is a mare at my yard that had a neurectomy for PSD in 2006, unfortunately she is still lame.
However I don't think she was given the correct aftercare, and the new owners have more or less given up on her as she has kissing spines aswell.
So nobody knows if the operation worked or not but reading through her notes she was given only a 60% chance of it being successful.

Sorry I know that's probably not what you want to hear
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But I would imagine Grace would get the best aftercare possible from you.
 
Thanks... I am just completely up in the air and don't know whether I have done the right thing!!!

The vet seemed really positive about the operation, and yet there are so many that have not been successful on here
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Thanks... I am just completely up in the air and don't know whether I have done the right thing!!!

The vet seemed really positive about the operation, and yet there are so many that have not been successful on here
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I'm sure the vet knows what he's doing hon.
The vets that did the op on my friends horse aren't the best, and I know she was ridden and jumped far too early.
 
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The vet seemed really positive about the operation

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And that's what you have to remember. He's the professional, and he would only have recommended the surgery if he felt it was of some benefit.

For everyone of us on her that say they have not heard of a success - there will be possibly more that would say they have heard of a successful outcome. They just don't post on here.

Chin up xxxxx
 
My friend's horse had both done December 2006 (I think) - he came back from that sound, but unfortunately has now been diagnosed with sacro illiac damage, so is now just in rehab for that, so whilst I "think" the PSD ops worked well, he isn't right, but whether the sacro problems are connected I really don't know, but he is currently back being ridden but its very very early days.
 
My pony had the neurectomy on Nov 2nd last year, he was in hospital ( Oakham, Leics) for 5 days; the op was a success. He was box rested for two weeks, then out on a 2 x stable size section of the paddock for two weeks. We then started walking in hand for 2 weeks, but after 5 days, he had other ideas and tanked off up the road, leaping about bucking everywhere! The vet came told me to give him bute once a day and turn him out into the bigger field; Basically let him get on with it and see how it goes; He came back out mid Jan, he is now 90% sound, and is happily walking/trotting without any problems.
I now ride him 30 mins 3/4 times a week and in a couple of months he can canter and maybe go into the school for half an hour
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It can work out well as in my case, but he doubts wether he will ever jump again because it took 5 months before he was diagnosed with PSD.
 
Dear Bex as you know Im in the same position. One day Im definitely going for it the next Im not sure.

Everyone who sees my girl says that I have to go for it as she is so special and it would be such a waste not to.
My vet has also said 60% successful but I understand there is a big risk in the anaesthetic. I do understand that alot depends on the rehab and Im more confident about that now.
I have tried to do some research but most papers only seem to cover the shockwace treatment not the neurectomy.

Like you I would welcome any positive experiences from forum members x
 
I am struggling to get hold of a paper written by my vet called 'Neurectomy and Facsiotomy for the surgical treatment of hindlimb PSD' by Andy Bathe.

He is away at present but will ask him when he returns for a copy.
 
Thanks... I would be interested to read it if at all possible
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Someone has just put some percentages on my post in comp lounge... it has confirmed my gut instinct.
 
Hi Becki
I'm sorry to read this - the only thing that I can say is that a friend of mine had her horse's front suspensories operated on by the same vet and she's doing really well back competing and everything - however it's slow progress - lots of walking on a long rein allowing the horse to just walk, not walk in an outline etc - it's taken a couple of years to get her sorted out though - similar time scale to H really.
Good luck with whatever you decide
Kate x
 
i know a horse competing at international grand prix who had the neurectomy for bilateral hindlimb PSD. i also know of horses who are still lame and those who came sound and went lame again. the most important thing to check out is that they come sound with a plantar digital nerve block as this is the nerve they cut in surgery and there's no point cutting it if blocking it doesn't make them sound.

i've read every single paper written on PSD - i wrote my dissertation on it. feel free to ask questions. i did have a copy of all the papers but i sent them to someone else after i finished uni. i remember reading the Andy Bathe one online, but i cant find it anymore.
 
Thank you Star... I have so many questions I just don't know where to start
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She had a nerve block originally when being diagnosed. Would this be one of the plantar digital nerve blocks? I will speak to Peter and find out, but he treats a lot of horses with this injury and I do have faith in him...

These are the questions I can initially think of:

How long is the surgery?
How long is the recovery period?
Which are the most successful cases? (younger/older/chronic/acute etc etc)
 
i would presume that she came sound to the right nerve block when they diagnosed her, but it's worth double checking.

Surgery doesn't take very long - much less than colic surgery and she's fit and well now, so there's no reason why she shouldn't do much better under this GA than the colic one - her body was full of endotoxins and was dehydrated last time - this time she's healthy. Recovery normally consists of short period of box rest then a few months turned out - none of the controlled exercise that shockwave requires. Then just a gradual return to work. The op works on all types of injuries because you're completely severing the nerve that supplies the ligament, so it doesnt matter what damage there is to the ligament. Sometimes they go lame again if the nerve tissue regenerates, so normally they actually remove a good chunk of the nerve, rather than just cutting it. The fasciotomy is to release the pressure from the swollen ligament on the nerve and just the fasciotomy can work well, but if you're operating you might as well do the nerectomy at the same time.
 
Thank you so much Star... I have to say, if this was not happening to my girl I would be finding this a whole lot more interesting rather than a necessity if that makes sense at all!

She came 100% sound on the nerve block during the initial lameness workups which is why they they scanned the suspensory. She came 80% sound on a nerve block in the hock, so they then focussed on just the suspensory.

There is only minor thickening now of the ligament from what I could make out in the scan. There are only small areas where it is pushing against the bit that holds it in (sorry, I am not brilliant with the terminology) and on the longitudinal scans you can see one area which has a slight bow in it. I presume this is why they need to make the area slightly larger, as Peter did say some horses just heal like this.

Sorry, a few more questions:

Is it helpful that the ligament has already done a lot of its healing in Grace's case (the fibres are good patterns in most areas and the ligament has reduced in size greatly since the first scan)?
Is it just this particular area that no longer feels the pain, or does this nerve function for other areas too?
Why do some horses still not come sound after this procedure?
 
Just read your other post, so sorry to hear all this
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On a good note, the vet seems positive so I will keep my fingers crossed for Grace!
I don't know much about the subject but have you tried searching for PSD, neurectomy etc on Google Books (bboks that you can read online)?
Here is one I have just found: Adam's Lamness in Horses (some info seems to be positive!!)
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it really doesn't matter how much healing the ligament has already done - you're cutting it's nerve supply completely. the nerve just supplies the proximal suspensory ligament, so no need to worry about them not feeling anything else.

horses dont come sound if there was another cause of lameness or occasionally there is a collateral nerve supply so they can still feel the ligament despite cutting the main nerve supply.
 
Thank you again Star... you have really cleared some things up in my mind!

Unfortunately, if I ever want to compete her again, I do feel the operation is our only option. Grace is not a happy hacker, she never has been and she never will be. And I can't really afford to keep her as a field ornament either, plus I don't have enough turnout for her to go out every day in winter regardless of the weather.

Fingers crossed...

Rebecca x
 
Sorry this is rather long!!! On the cost of the Op, my mare had both hind limbs done at Rossdales in 2004 aged just 6. She had Bilateral neurectomy but also osteostixis, as when Andy Bathe opened her up the pressure of the ligament tear had caused inflammation to both hind cannon bones so the osteostixis was performed to help healing & ease the pain. The cost of the opertaion was only £855 inc VAT, but by the time you add in all the drugs, bandages, stabling for 6 days, gowns, needles, catheters, farriers fees, theatre costs etc the total was £1842.05 inc VAT & this is almost 4 years ago now.
I did everything to the letter that Andy advised & gave her more time if anything. Took no shortcuts. She was operated on in the April (the longest day of my life) & box rested until September. Rescanned & began walk work on the horsewalker. By Febrauary I was riding in walk & slowly built up the work over the next few months. She returned to full BD competiton work, August 2005 winning & getting placed at Prelim & Novice for a short season. Took it easy over the winter then geared up for a full season March 2006. Then in Sept 2006 she was just going in to trot for a novice test, having just done a 68% Prelim under a tough judge, when she went hopping lame. So she had shock wave therapy & box rest/tiny paddock turnout for sanity but only 20m x 20m. After 6 months i sat on her for the first time & she was still lame. She then put me on the floor in spectacular style for the first time in the 5 years i had her & looned round the arena. So i gave her another 3 months off & got the vet out again. Sadly this time as well as the right hind having been damaged the left had gone too & the suspensory appartus had collapsed causing the fetlocks to drop. The vet confirmed that at 9 years old she would never be ridden again. The reason for the suspensory injury was not conformational - in fact several vets have said she had amazing conformation & becasue she had good blood lines I have given her to a local stud as i can't afford to keep her as a pet. 3 Vets have looked at her & agreed there is no reason why she can't have foals, so fingers crossed she will become a mummy this year.
I can totally sympathise with what you are going through, I feel my heart is broken, having invested so much time & love & done all the right things. But it could have worked we were given a 75% success chance & did work for a while & i don't regret trying for one moment. I also know of at least a couple of horses who have had this & gone on to compete at PSG or above, so despite the neagtive outcome, in the same postion again I would still go for it. There are some Fab vets out there & I am very grateful to Andy for trying.
 
I am mid way through the rehab for a psd op. My mare had the op on both hinds at the Animal Health Trust having been diagnosed by Sue Dyson. The op cost, in total about £3300 inc Vat. She had box rest for two weeks and is now being walked (ridden or led) every day for up to 45 mins for two months. She is due to have a scan on 25 March. If okay she can be turned out and continued to be ridden. Not sure when any trot work allowed as yet.

What I find interesting is the different after-op rehab regimes that different vets prescribe. A bit worrying to me - who has got it right? Are there some of us doing exactly the wrong thing, does it matter what we do, is it all a stab in the dark!
 
With my mare, the fibre patterns in the ligament didnt look too good but she hasnt really been lame at all.

We only started looking at her because her way of going deteriorated a little. She is a very cadenced horse. She didnt step under quite as much as before but tended to hover longer with her hindlegs. Ive spent a fortune going down all sorts of avenues with different vets.

Thankfully this diagnosis actually makes some sense and I now feel that I know what is wrong with her and can act accordingly. I feel that she probably needs the fasciotomy as much as the neurectomy.

Overall though, its the foal route versus surgery that is causing me the most doubt. She would breed a fab baby if I decide not to opt for the surgical intervention.
 
That is what happened with Grace mickey66... but her fibres now look much better. There are some areas that are still a little muddled, but mostly they have improved
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I also thought about breeding from Grace, but I really would like to have her back out competing if at all possible... I love riding her, and miss it so very much! If I didn't try, I would always wonder
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Star... sorry, I know I keep asking more and more questions. But what is the difference between Sue Dyson's operation and Andy Bathe's? Someone has mentioned there is some slight variation, and I was just wondering what this was.
 
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