4 Aug 2025
The procedure became available to clients at the start of August.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
RVC’s equine surgeons, led by its Equine Referral Hospital’s lecturer in equine surgery Alex Hawkins, have undertaken specialist training thanks to charitable funding which has also provided the necessary equipment.
The training was led by developer of the technique, Jan-Hein Swagemakers, initially in Germany and then at the RVC itself.
Dr Swagemakers’ groundbreaking procedure, which is performed under general anaesthetic, sees the removal of excess bone near the base of the neck to relieve nerve compression and create more space within the spinal canal.
The outcome for the patient is reduced pain and improved neurological function.
The hospital will determine suitable candidates by carrying out clinical examinations before using a recently installed Qalibra CT scanner.
Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire is the only other equine hospital in the UK to offer the procedure.
Dr Hawkins said the RVC’s Equine Referral Hospital is “excited” to offer the surgery, which “offers new hope for owners with horses suffering from chronic or debilitating neck pain, helping to improve their comfort, mobility, and overall quality of life.
“It also offers referring veterinarians a reliable, evidence-based option for managing suitable cases of cervical spinal nerve compression.”
He added: “More than 300 surgeries have now been performed worldwide with early outcomes showing promising results (reported to be an approximately 80% success rate) and so we encourage colleagues to consider this minimally invasive procedure for horses showing clinical signs consistent with foraminal stenosis, particularly those not responding to conservative management.”
The RVC says its team is now set to participate in a collaborative research project that aims to enhance anatomical, surgical, and advanced imaging knowledge to improve diagnosis and treatment of equine patients with cervical spinal nerve compression.
