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Member
Posts: 6
| Would like to know personal experiences about laser surgery and drilling for a hock that isn't fusing. Recovery, performance, etc. Thank you. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
  
| I have lasered 3 all had horrible hocks before, all were sound post surgery.
1st horse 3 days recovery time then was competing, surgery was done 12 yrs ago, retired due to arthritis in front joints 4 yrs ago, still no hock problems
2nd horse fractured a hock recovery time was a few months due to front end issues, surgery 7 yrs ago still running strong
3rd horse recovery time 2 weeks, no issues since
I don't inject hocks, my vet won't surgically fuse if the horse has had depo injections as the depo has been shown to prevent healing especially in hock surgery.
If you are considering fusing speak to the surgeon on their beliefs and have them prove with research |
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Location: Texas | We had one done in April at OakRidge Equine. Dr Hand had to do both the laser and drill because of the amount of calcium that had already been laid down. There was a very rigorous 72 day rehab period. We have had excellent results. Just wished we would have done it five years ago |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | A good friend of mine tried the drill procedure at Purdue. They tried to inject him and were unable to do so. This was a last ditch effort at getting him sound. The doctor described the lower hock joint as "collapsed" to me on both sides, one worse than the other. The person leasing him basically over-jumped him much too often, and she was left to clean up the mess. (As in jumping this horse everyday over 4' fences). She will never lease another horse out.... she was in college at the time and the girl was a good friend... yeah.
He is better than pre-surgery, but he will never be totally sound and has bad days occasionally. He's her trail horse now. She does do some light dressage work with him. I believe he decetly sound overall. This is about two years post surgery. He had a LONG recovery time. |
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 Living within my means
Posts: 5128
Location: Randolph, Utah | I had the option to drill my mares hocks, luckily injections seem to be working. My vet told me a year recovery if we were to drill the hocks, but he also gave me a very high success rate, and said she should come back 100%. |
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Hock Fusing: Laser vs. Drilling