Major surgery on Barbaro began at 1 p.m. this afternoon and ended at approximately 7 p.m. According to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dean W. Richardson, the operation went satisfactorily and Barbaro is in his recovery stall. "Barbaro presented with a case that was about as difficult as such an operation could be," said Richardson.
Barbaro had fractured his leg in three places. During the surgery, the bones were set and will be allowed to fuse in place over time. Recovery will take many months.
"While we do not anticipate complications, surgery is only the beginning for a horse that has undergone major surgery," Richardson said. "We are optimistic, but right now we are focusing on Barbaro's recovery."
About Dean W. Richardson, DVM
Dr. Dean W. Richardson is Chief of Surgery and the Charles W. Raker Professor of Equine Surgery at Penn Vets Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center. He is an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon whose research focuses on cartilage repair. Dr. Richardson has been part of New Bolton Center since 1979.
Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com
Note: this blog is an interactive web page. By clicking on the envelope icon at the bottom of an article, you can instantly email that article to a friend. By clicking on the word “comment” after a post, you can leave a message, which may be viewed by future blog readers who click on the same “comment”. Commenting may require registering with Blogger.com. You may also comment by emailing the author, Fran Jurga, at fran@hoofcare.com and your comment will be posted for you, technology willing.
