A nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction—essentially, clogged tear ducts—in horses is not only unsightly, but also quite painful. Furthermore, it often doesn’t resolve with conservative treatment. When ointments, drops, and massages fail, surgery is the best option.

Thanks to a recently developed technique, tear duct canalization surgery just got a whole lot simpler. The novel standing procedure that takes less than half an hour is giving lasting results that return tear ducts to full function.

“The horse is sedated, and his nerves are blocked locally, so he feels nothing during the procedure, standing calm and relaxed,” said Palle Brink, DVM, Dipl. ECVS, of the Jagersro Equine Clinic, in Malmo, Sweden, where the surgical technique was developed. “It takes me about 22 minutes for the whole procedure” on one tear duct.

Brink and his fellow researcher, James Schumacher, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, of the University of Tennessee Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, in Knoxville, recently published a detailed description with photos to help veterinary surgeons understand and perform the procedure