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Feasibility Study of Robotic Cleft Palate Repair in Foal Cadavers

Principal Investigator: Rebecca McOnie

Sponsor: Veterinary Endoscopy Society
Title: Feasibility Study of Robotic Cleft Palate Repair in Foal Cadavers
Project Amount: $10,000
Project Period: January 2026 to December 2027

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):

Robotic surgery has been instrumental in human medicine for several decades, while its adoption to veterinary medicine is in early stages. Robotic surgery offers several advantages over conventional open surgical techniques and other laparoscopic approaches, including enhanced instrument dexterity with improved degrees of freedom and articulation in restricted anatomical locations. In human surgery, robot-assisted surgery is most used for urogenital, bariatric, cardiovascular, orthopedic, and oropharyngeal procedures. Current robot-assisted veterinary surgery applications focus on treating dogs. This feasibility study will represent the first transoral robot-assisted endoscopic surgical technique described for horses. Cleft palate defects in foals result in high morbidity and mortality, and current treatment options are highly invasive. Limited oral cavity access poses significant challenges in addressing congenital cleft palate defects. Existing repair techniques require extensive dissection to access the palate, resulting in pain and prolonging postoperative healing. The objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of a minimally invasive surgical approach to the foal’s soft palate using the Da Vinci Surgical System. Outcomes including surgical time, operative field visualization, and suturing time will be compared between the robot-assisted and open commissurotomy techniques. Study findings will inform the development of a minimally invasive surgical technique for cleft palate repair in live foals and expand the scope of robot-assisted endoscopic surgery in veterinary medicine.