OSU Veterinarians Perform Landmark Surgery on Colt
Tom Johnston Communications Services Oklahoma State University (405) 744-6260
Dr. Bradford Bentz and Dr. David Moll check over their patient, "Spinner."
"Spinner" isn't going in circles anymore, thanks to Drs. Bradford Bentz and David Moll at OSU's veterinary teaching hospital, and an innovative surgical procedure.
"Spinner", a one month old Quarter Horse colt, was donated to the hospital by a breeder because the colt could not eat and he continually walked in circles. Thus, the hospital staff lovingly dubbed him "Spinner."
Bentz, a large animal internist, said it's not that unusual to see a foal with nervous system problems. "If the mare had problems before or in association with delivery and the foal became deprived of oxygen, you might see this symptom. But one thing was different with this animal: he only circled in one direction. So we decided to do a CT scan of his brain and we found the ventricles of his brain greatly enlarged. His system was making too much fluid and putting pressure on the brain. The medical term for it is Hydrocephalus."
Bentz said without surgical intervention, the colt would have faced certain death. That's where Moll, a large animal surgeon, came into the picture. "We went into the brain of the colt and installed a shunt and tubing with an in-line, one-way pressure valve," Moll said. "Once the pressure of the fluid exceeds a certain level, the valve opens, allowing drainage. When proper pressure is attained, the valve closes." He then directed the tubing under the skin and down the animal's back, past the rib cage, where it empties into the abdominal cavity. From there, he said it would be absorbed by the body and eliminated. Bentz assisted Moll in the two-hour surgery. "We recognized it was risky," Bentz said, "but we pretty well knew what the outcome would be if we didn't try it."
"It's a technique that has been used in human medicine, but to my knowledge, this is the first documented case where it's been used with a horse," Moll added. Both doctors said the prognosis for the colt is still unclear. The animal is drinking milk on his own now, and that's an improvement. He's not walking in circles, and that's an improvement. But it will be a number of months until the doctors know the full extent of his recovery.
Until then, the doctors say he will receive a lot of loving care and, at some time in the future, he will probably be the subject of a case report.
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Dr. Bradford Bentz.
