Suspensory ligament neurectomy, experiences, recovery etc (hinds)

I had one of my horses operated on for this back in March 2010 by Andy Bathe at Rossdales.
The op itself was unremarkable, very smooth, horse recovered very quickly and was in no sign of pain.
He did the required box rest and in hand walking, then had a few months in the field and resumed work in October 2010. He was sold earlier this year and is sound and working regularly, although only really at RC level.

Wouldn't hesitate to put another horse through the op if needed in the future.
 
robthecob said:
It is my understanding too that not every horse is a candidate for surgery, I wonder what dictates that. I certainly never thought it was as common as it sounds.
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No. Twiggy wasn't a candidate for it, though having done a lot of research I'd decided against it anyway, due mainly to the high possibility of the nerve growing back. I expected that she would be a field ornament for the rest of her years.

She was three and a half when I got her in the October, just backed. On/off lameness until the following August when she went to Newmarket to see Sue Dyson. She came back a field ornament, but quickly deteriorated, even though she was on flat pasture, settled and quiet herd. Got to the point where she could not easily turn or stale or get up, so she was put to sleep in the October aged four and a half.

Sue Dyson was surprised at the degree of damage in such a young horse with so little mileage.
 
2 Sucsefully operated on one back schooling at Advanced Medium level after the op.
They then both went down with front foot issues which didn't respond to traditional treatments.
One showed navicular changes on xrays that deteriorated quickly but he's had happy retirment for 6 year now.
The other we're not sure front feet xray Ok so we presume soft tissue/ligament damage but like others MRI would only pin point it not fix it.
So he's retired now too.

2 very expensive paddock ornaments and to be honest I'm scared to buy a third horse as I wonder if it's something I'm doing. however 2nd hrose went lame the year I got married and all he was doing was light walking hacks!
 
Alibear said:
2 Sucsefully operated on one back schooling at Advanced Medium level after the op.
They then both went down with front foot issues which didn't respond to traditional treatments.
One showed navicular changes on xrays that deteriorated quickly but he's had happy retirment for 6 year now.
The other we're not sure front feet xray Ok so we presume soft tissue/ligament damage but like others MRI would only pin point it not fix it.
So he's retired now too.

2 very expensive paddock ornaments and to be honest I'm scared to buy a third horse as I wonder if it's something I'm doing. however 2nd hrose went lame the year I got married and all he was doing was light walking hacks!
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Have you considered sending them down to Rockley? This is exactly the sort of thing Nic their specialises in. You might then find that you don't need to buy a third ;) Even if you didn't send them to her, I'd really recommend contacting her for some advice :)
 
My horse had the op done on 3 November this year at Liphook which went well. The only issues I had were simular to the other post on here about bandages. My boy always rolls and likes to lay down a lot, so they kept having to be redone sometimes twice a day. He also got a few bandage sores, so we had to bandage a different way in the end to help with that (they have gone now though). Also around the time the staples were due to be removed he refused to eat (I think they were irritating him), but after removed he was fine. But to be honest all in all it has been fine! he has always walked fine after the op so must be feeling fine I think. He has been fine staying in (as long as he is fed he quite likes his house!).

He has been on 4 weeks box rest and I am currently now doing the 4 weeks in hand walking x2 day (still on box rest) as the paddock rest would not have worked for my boy (he finds it easy to rodeo on the spot lets put it that way!). Aiming to get back on under saddle end of January.

You will find a few threads on PSD on here which I posted a few months ago, which have some good replied on that.

My boy had PSD in both hinds, he was not really lame (1/10 on a tight circle under saddle that is all and not worse after flexion etc..). So at the moment I have no idea whether the op has worked or not you see! but fingers crossed. Like others have said, I too am confused why my boy got it and thought my vet was barking mad when I got the diagnosis. He had not been backed long and spent most time walk hacking and poodling round the school.

Although my boy was not really lame, he was VERY tense ridden, so I think maybe it hurt him more than we could see in lameness terms. Also my physio said he was one big ache from top to bottom! so has ovbiously been over compensating everywhere else. People also used to say he never tracked up and that must be because of his PSD but he is spanish and they are bad at that anyway so I do not really think that was part of it personally (for him anyway).

Since the above I now know of another 2 horses that have been diagnosed with the same (one from my yard, going for the op next week). Seems to be very common nowadays I think! my vet said they could not detect it years ago but now nerve blocking is more advanced they are able to.

Good luck with your horse in whatever you decide :)
 
Thanks SpanishNeddy for your reply, hope it's worked for you.

We went ahead, my horse had the operation last week, best option for him. He has been really good with his bandages, he started to get quiet bad dry/itchy skin so vet's checked him and advised he has no bandages as his wounds have heeled really well so quickly. Staples out next week, then the start of 5 mins twice-three times daily in hand walking. I have everything crossed for a full recovery.

Has anyone had their horse on the water treadmill as part of the rehabilitation process?
 
My horse had bilateral hind neurectomy in august 2010 and although everything seemed to go smoothly and there was some original improvement she's still not 100%.

BUT she also has arthritis in her hocks with secondary SI/back pain so although the vet was originally quite positive about the outcome there were a lot of issues to resolve. It could therefore be any of them that's still causing the problem so can't say the neurectomy didn't work, just that there are unresolved issues! lol

On a slightly happier note though she is doing well on bute (wish I'd chosen the old fashioned option of bute and road work to begin with ;) ) and quite happy staying in work on that so we'll just keep going with that for now! (not everyone's cup of tea working a horse on bute but ho-hum ;) )
 
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My horse is currently about to have shock wave therapy for PSD in her hind leg but vet doesn't seem to be confident about it so looks like I may also need to consider the surgery option. Is there any special care required in the long term ie. once the inital recovery from the op is over. Also how much of the horse's lower leg is numb? is it just the back or the whole leg?
 
Mine had it done just over 6 weeks ago, the only bit that he can't feel is the top of the suspensory, I can pinch his legs all over and he is reactive. I was offered the route of shockwave but quoted a 40% success rate and given that I knew how much it would cost I opted to go straight to surgery as I knew that would be around £3k before I even started, plus with trying shockwave it would put us 8 weeks further behind getting back to work. Mine is now sound - yay and being turned out everyday, we go back to Rossdales at the end of January and then if everything is still ok then we can start riding.
 
Also my horse did not have staples, like everyone elses seem to have had - Andy Bathe did mine. He only wore the elastoplast bandages for a week, then stable bandages for a week after that. He had no scabbing, just a very clean looking slight scar that has now disappeared.
 
Laafet said:
Also my horse did not have staples, like everyone elses seem to have had - Andy Bathe did mine. He only wore the elastoplast bandages for a week, then stable bandages for a week after that. He had no scabbing, just a very clean looking slight scar that has now disappeared.
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Good to hear your lad is sound, and sounds like a very good recovery process. My lad had staples in, he had elastoplast stockings on for 5 days and then naked legs for remaining few days with staples still in and rubbed E45 cream above his hocks where he had got dry skin. He's actually had his staples out today, can't believe how clean his legs are, heeled so well you can barley see where the incisions were even so soon after surgery. The vet was surprised how they had heeled and hardly any swelling too. Tough little lad bless him. Hope the rest of the recovery process goes so well. Start in hand walking (just a few mins) tomorrow, I think he will be rather full of himself :/
 
so nice to hear that the majority of stories on here are positive. My horse is only four and has done very little. I guess I keep wrestling in my mind whether I should really be doing this op to a four year old. Mu understanding was that her hind legs would both be numb at the back and sides from just below her hock right down to her fetlock and back of her foot but it seems that it maynot be a correct assumption?
 
Oh no it is only a very small area that they can not feel. As PSD is upper suspensory, it is just a small area under hock that is all.

But a lot of people get funny about this surgery but I think they get it confused with other de-nerving ops which numb the whole foot etc...! but this is different they can still feel their whole leg and foot :)

Your vet should be able to clarify this too :)
 
Laafet said:
Also my horse did not have staples, like everyone elses seem to have had - Andy Bathe did mine. He only wore the elastoplast bandages for a week, then stable bandages for a week after that. He had no scabbing, just a very clean looking slight scar that has now disappeared.
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Ditto this. Andy did my friends and after two weeks it is already invisible apart from the obvious clip marks. The wounds are totally healed and gone without trace. Amazing really!
 
Daisy had shockwave then surgery in 2009. She has never come sound and is a field ornament.

I think someone should do some research into how many procedures work and how many don't.
 
I also had it done on my old mare, all seemed well and good until we eventually got back in the school having followed the vet to the letter and also then done 6 weeks road work. Back on the school on a circle she was still 3/10 lame and was retired . Shame as was a cracking mare x
 
I think you have to be very carefull with PSD diagnosis- most of the time they are a secondary symptom to some other issue going on.
Which could be why there seems to be some failures after these operations.
PSD is a bit of a mystery to me TBH I regard it with a lot of sceptism as so many horses are diagnosed with it these days.
 
Has anyone had experience of inferior check ligament injury in hinds.

My horse did his August 2011, vets confident of return to work but long slow recovery. Had second scan at xmas showing good healing but not sufficient to come out of box (he is in a barn and can move around freely).

Next scan early March. It is a rare injury, I did post last year but did not have a reply - must be very rare.
 
ihatework said:
I had one of my horses operated on for this back in March 2010 by Andy Bathe at Rossdales.
The op itself was unremarkable, very smooth, horse recovered very quickly and was in no sign of pain.
He did the required box rest and in hand walking, then had a few months in the field and resumed work in October 2010. He was sold earlier this year and is sound and working regularly, although only really at RC level.

Wouldn't hesitate to put another horse through the op if needed in the future.
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Hate to bring back an old thread, but how is your horse getting on now? I need to make a decision about surgery on my Young horse. Thanks!
 
SpanishNeddy said:
My horse had the op done on 3 November this year at Liphook which went well. The only issues I had were simular to the other post on here about bandages. My boy always rolls and likes to lay down a lot, so they kept having to be redone sometimes twice a day. He also got a few bandage sores, so we had to bandage a different way in the end to help with that (they have gone now though). Also around the time the staples were due to be removed he refused to eat (I think they were irritating him), but after removed he was fine. But to be honest all in all it has been fine! he has always walked fine after the op so must be feeling fine I think. He has been fine staying in (as long as he is fed he quite likes his house!).

He has been on 4 weeks box rest and I am currently now doing the 4 weeks in hand walking x2 day (still on box rest) as the paddock rest would not have worked for my boy (he finds it easy to rodeo on the spot lets put it that way!). Aiming to get back on under saddle end of January.

You will find a few threads on PSD on here which I posted a few months ago, which have some good replied on that.

My boy had PSD in both hinds, he was not really lame (1/10 on a tight circle under saddle that is all and not worse after flexion etc..). So at the moment I have no idea whether the op has worked or not you see! but fingers crossed. Like others have said, I too am confused why my boy got it and thought my vet was barking mad when I got the diagnosis. He had not been backed long and spent most time walk hacking and poodling round the school.

Although my boy was not really lame, he was VERY tense ridden, so I think maybe it hurt him more than we could see in lameness terms. Also my physio said he was one big ache from top to bottom! so has ovbiously been over compensating everywhere else. People also used to say he never tracked up and that must be because of his PSD but he is spanish and they are bad at that anyway so I do not really think that was part of it personally (for him anyway).

Since the above I now know of another 2 horses that have been diagnosed with the same (one from my yard, going for the op next week). Seems to be very common nowadays I think! my vet said they could not detect it years ago but now nerve blocking is more advanced they are able to.

Good luck with your horse in whatever you decide :)
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Hate to bring back an old thread, but how is your horse getting on now? Having to consider this now myself and torn with what to do. Thanks!
 
horseywelsh said:
Thanks SpanishNeddy for your reply, hope it's worked for you.

We went ahead, my horse had the operation last week, best option for him. He has been really good with his bandages, he started to get quiet bad dry/itchy skin so vet's checked him and advised he has no bandages as his wounds have heeled really well so quickly. Staples out next week, then the start of 5 mins twice-three times daily in hand walking. I have everything crossed for a full recovery.

Has anyone had their horse on the water treadmill as part of the rehabilitation process?
Click to expand...

Hate to bring back an old thread, but how is your horse getting on now? Having to consider this for my horse now. Thanks!
 
kira said:
I had this done on my mare November 2010. Everything went very smoothly, and after her 3 month follow up scan, her ligaments were declared almost completely normal. I will say that initially she had no significant lesions on the ligaments at all, the diagnosis and subsequent surgery were done because of enlargement of the ligaments, not sure if that would make a difference to surgery outcome or not.

She did not appear lame throughout the entire pre and post-op period at all and came back into work very well. She now has a good overtrack in walk where she had none at all previously and is very comfortable behind. I do feel it took her about 6 months to get used to her new legs though as she had a slightly unusual for her gait behind for quite sometime.

All in all I would definitely do this surgery again. It is also my understanding that it is legal to compete following this surgery and that it is front limb neurectomy that is not allowed. I am happy to be corrected on this though if someone has the rulings to hand! It isn't going to effect me for a while as my mare damaged a nerve in her shoulder so is now in-foal for a year to give that time to heal!
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Hi, I'm having to make this decision now so just curious how you're horse is doing now? Thanks!
 
Ali16 said:
It was the best thing we ever did for my sister's little ginger boy.

We tried time off for a year and still no improvement so we went down the route of surgery, which we kept putting off as he is a nightmare patient with anything small, so we couldn't bare to think of what he would be like on box rest and walking out in hand. He also stresses out at the smallest thing.

Anyway, after the inital toys-out-the-pram paddy about staying in, having bandages on (he constantly bit them) and three weeks of walking out in hand, you could already see the improvemet.

He was just happier in himself and when we started ridden work again (after the exuberance had disappeared!) you could tell that he must have been in pain for quite a while before his diagnosis as all his work inproved 10 fold.

He is now back to competing (and winning) at BE100 and will hopefully make the step up to Novice next year as long as he remains comfortable and sound.

He is checked by the vet every three months. Each time they see him they are amazed at his recovery and tell us to keep going with him like normal but just avoid lunging and lots of schooling. He mainly hacks, only jumps once every fortnight and schools twice a week.

It is a dream come true to have him back to his best again.
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Hi, I'm having to make this decision now, so just interested in how your horse is getting on now? Thanks!
 
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