As previously planned, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was placed under general anesthesia this morning (Jan. 13), so surgeons could fully examine his left hind foot. “While his condition was unchanged over the last two days, we were unable to fully assess his left hind foot with him in his stall,” said Dean W. Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, chief of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center.

“In today’s procedure, another area of undermined hoof wall was removed,” said Richardson. “The left hind deep digital flexor tendon was cut to help decrease the pull on the coffin bone by that tendon. This was previously done in July, but the tendon had healed and was pulling on the coffin bone, contributing to the malalignment of the coffin bone. Because he has been more uncomfortable on his left hind, we put a cast back on the right hind lower limb for additional support.”

Richardson reports that “Barbaro was awoken from anesthesia once more in the recovery pool and had an uneventful recovery. He continues to receive intensive management for his discomfort on the left hind foot.”

Barbaro remains in the intensive care unit of Penn’s George D. Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center