WATCH: SA celebrates successful treatment for irregular heartbeat on horse
South Africa is celebrating its first successful transvenous electrical cardioversion procedure.
The procedure was performed by the University of Pretoria’s veterinary specialist Dr Christina Eberhardt and Onderstepoort veterinary academic hospital in April.
It was performed on a 17-year-old horse named Sky.
TVEC is a new and advanced treatment for horses suffering from atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow.
“Atrial fibrillation is often diagnosed by veterinarians in racehorses and is the most common arrhythmia in horses. Horses can live with atrial fibrillation, but the disease can create risk for both rider and horse,” said Eberhardt.
Previously, atrial fibrillation was treated with quinidine sulphate. The anti-arrhythmic drug was able to restore a normal heartbeat, but causes several side effects for horses.
Eberhardt says the procedure was challenging but turned out to be a great success.
“The most difficult part of the procedure was the correct placement of the catheters within the heart, the team used blood pressure measurement, ultrasound and radiography to guide the catheters. This part of the procedure was performed on a standing but sedated horse.
“Skye was successfully treated and had no complications. He is doing well after the procedure and can now return to full exercise,” added Eberhardt.
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