cardiac ablation in a horse
Belgian veterinarians scientists have completed the first cardiac ablation in a horse. Diamant, a 5-year-old Norwegian show jumper, came through the four-hour operation with no difficulties. | Photo: Courtesy Dr. Gunther van Loon

Belgian veterinarians have completed the first cardiac ablation in a horse ever performed. The procedure, used to correct irregular heartbeats, was a success.

Diamant, a 5-year-old Norwegian show jumper, came through the four-hour operation with no difficulties.

“It’s very exciting to see that there’s now a way to offer this therapeutic treatment—which has shown great success in human medicine—to equine patients, while creating many new opportunities for the future of equine cardiac medicine,” said Gunther van Loon, DVM, PhD, Dip ECEIM, Assoc. Member ECVDI, president of the Belgian Equine Practitioners Society (BEPS), head of the Equine Cardioteam, and professor in Ghent University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, in Belgium

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