Surgery of the Paranasal Sinuses Performed with the Horse Standing

Surgery of the paranasal sinuses of horses is usually performed through an osteoplastic, frontonasal flap with the horse anesthetized and in lateral recumbency, but the risks of general anesthesia can be eliminated and expense reduced by performing surgery of the sinuses with the horse standing. Performing sinus surgery with the horse standing causes less hemorrhage than when it is performed with the horse anesthetized. Procedures that can be performed through a frontonasal flap with the horse standing include exploration of the sinuses, biopsy of abnormal tissue, removal of inspissated exudate from the ventral conchal sinus, excision of a cyst, a progressive ethmoidal hematoma, or a tumor, and evaluation or removal of diseased maxillary cheek teeth.