Life-saving surgery gives Valtano a second chance

A 15-year-old warmblood has undergone pioneering keyhole surgery at a leading equine hospital in North Yorkshire to remove a life-threatening tumour from his stomach.

Valtano, a 17.1hh Anglo European Studbook gelding, was operated on at Rainbow Equine Hospital in Malton after vets discovered a fast-growing 12cm mass that was causing a dangerous blockage in his digestive system.

While stomach surgery in horses is rarely attempted due to the complexity and location of the organ, Rainbow’s specialist team turned to a cutting-edge laparoscopic technique – successfully removing the tumour and giving Valtano a second chance.

The unusual discovery came when European specialist in equine internal medicine, Dr Lizzie Cullen, investigated Valtano for suspected gastric ulcers. But a follow-up gastroscopy revealed the true scale of the issue – the mass had grown significantly and was now causing a serious obstruction in the horse’s stomach and oesophagus.

Thanks to Rainbow’s multi-disciplinary team, a unique surgical plan was quickly put in place. Lizzie consulted with her colleague and husband, Dr Matthew Cullen, a European specialist in equine surgery, who suggested combining keyhole surgery with more traditional techniques to gain access to the tumour.

Matthew, who performed the operation alongside fellow surgeon Jonathan Anderson, explained:

“Gastric surgery is not common in horses due to the stomach being positioned deep inside the abdomen, making it difficult to access. The keyhole approach allowed us to get bigger instruments into the stomach and also improved our access to the base of the mass so we could remove more of it.”

Valtano was placed under general anaesthesia and positioned on his back. A ‘J-shaped’ incision in his abdomen gave the team access to the stomach, where small laparoscopic incisions allowed 1cm-diameter surgical instruments to be inserted. At the same time, Lizzie passed a gastroscope through Valtano’s throat and into his stomach, providing a clear view of the mass and the instruments in action.

“We were very pleased with how the surgery went and we were able to remove the majority of the mass, cutting it as close to the stomach wall as possible,” said Matthew.

“As well as successfully helping Valtano, this surgical method could be beneficial in the future by giving us another option to operate on the inside of other hollow organs inside the body that are difficult to access, such as the bladder, uterus and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract.”

Valtano remained at Rainbow for two weeks following the procedure last October. A six-month follow-up gastroscopy in April showed no sign of the mass returning – a huge relief for everyone involved.

“Valtano made really good progress after his surgery and everyone was delighted to see him recover – he became very popular with all of the team,” said Lizzie. “We had been concerned that the mass was cancerous because it looked quite nasty, but a sample was sent away for analysis and we were delighted to find out it was benign. The lab report said it was benign hyperplasia, which is an overgrowth of normal tissue. This is not something that’s commonly found in horses.”

Valtano is now back home with his owner, Katie Boddy, a lawyer who runs Sproxton Grange Equestrian Centre in Helmsley. Thanks to a tailored rehab programme, he’s back in work – and feeling better than ever.

“I’m so grateful to Rainbow for all they’ve done for Valtano. It’s so exciting that Valtano has a future ahead of him and it’s all thanks to the team at Rainbow,” said Katie.

“It was a huge shock when Lizzie told me about the mass inside his stomach, as I’d been expecting a diagnosis of ulcers based on the signs he’d been showing and because he’d suffered from them before.

“At first, the mass appeared quite small, but I took Valtano back to Rainbow a few weeks later because he’d started to eat intermittently and pass droppings infrequently, and that’s when we found out it had grown quite rapidly and was now causing serious issues. I needed to make a big decision quickly, which was to have him put to sleep or have the surgery.”

Rainbow’s team took the time to talk Katie through all her options – and she made the brave decision to go ahead with the surgery.

“While at that point we didn’t know if the lump was cancerous or not, I wanted to do what I could to save Valtano. He’s such a lovely horse with a big personality and I knew that he was in safe hands and Rainbow would do the best for him.

“After the surgery he was bright and alert straight away and it was such a relief when we heard that the mass wasn’t cancerous.

“When he came home, he was on stable rest for 12 weeks, then progressed to a covered pen and a small paddock. He’s done really well and I’ve brought him back into work slowly