Barbaro update - NEW INFO POST 12 - doesn't sound good

[kdibattista]

For those following the Barbaro story

http://www.nbc10.com/news/9489463/detail.html

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro may be facing some serious health issues in his battle with a devastating leg injury.

Barbaro underwent a third procedure in less than week, this time for a new infection and "potentially serious" complications to his injured right hind leg.

The Derby winner developed an infection in the leg in which a titanium plate and 27 screws were inserted after he shattered three bones at the start of the Preakness on May 20.

After Barbaro showed discomfort and had a "consistently" high fever, the plate and screws were replaced and the infection treated late Saturday night.

Surgery was performed by Dr. Dean Richardson at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, where Barbaro has been recovering in the intensive care unit.

In a statement released by the hospital Sunday, Richardson emphasized that the complications are "potentially serious."

"Barbaro had developed some discomfort and a consistently elevated temperature so we believed it was in his best interest to remove the hardware and thoroughly clean the site of the infection," Richardson said. "We also applied a longer cast on that leg for additional support."

Last Monday, Barbaro had the cast on his injured leg replaced and three new screws inserted. On Wednesday, another new cast was applied after the horse showed discomfort. Barbaro is also being treated for a small abscess on the sole of his left hind hoof, according to the hospital.

Richardson said Barbaro's main fracture is healing well, but the pastern joint - located above the hoof which was shattered into more than 20 pieces - continues to be a concern. The joint, which doctors are attempting to fuse, was stabilized with "new implants and a fresh bone graft."

Barbaro took longer to recover from the anesthesia from Saturday's procedure. Richardson said the colt was back in his stall and receiving pain medication, antibiotics and "other supportive care."

Barbaro's owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who live in nearby West Grove, Pa., and trainer Michael Matz continue to visit twice daily, the statement said.

Doctors have said it could be months before they know if the colt can survive what has been called catastrophic injuries that leave him vulnerable to infection and other life-threatening complications.

Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby by 6 1/2 lengths, was unbeaten in six races and expected to make a Triple Crown bid before his misstep early in the Preakness ended his racing career. He was taken to the New Bolton Center hours after breaking down at Pimlico Race Course and underwent five hours of surgery the next day.

At that time, Richardson said the chances of the horse's survival were 50-50.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Uh, oh. That's not good at this stage in his recovery.

 

[hiwaygal]

I have been following this all along...poor Barbaro! And he was doing so well!

I hope they can get this infection under control!

Thanks for posting the update

 

[luvwinnie]

Oh, I am so sad to hear this.

 

[CheshireVal]

I am also very sad to hear this. I hadn't checked any updates on him in a while because he had been doing so well-- I just assumed he was going to be okay.

Imagine my shock when I checked last night only to see this! I hope he can pull through.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

This was such a hard thing to hear. I was hoping for continued progress but I am really worried about this set-back. Barbaro is at the best possible facility he could be and receiving the best care. I'm sure everything that can be done is being done. Lots of thoughts and prayers to the big guy!

 

[Hillbeans]

My father writes about horse racing, and he told me last week about the second cast last week. It sounded so good early on, but these latest developments don't sound promising. Unfortunately no other horse has ever had this kind of surgery to this magnitude, so there is no scale to measure his progress on. I sure do hope he makes it through this.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I had just read this earlier this AM. I hope he makes it through all this. He is really lucky to have such great owners, they visit twice a day and have to be spending a bundle on his treatment that they don't know the outcome will be.

 

[BrerLizzie]

I hope he makes it. He's an awesome horse.

 

[kdibattista]

Additional info:

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was facing major problems for the first time since surgery to repair the right hind leg he shattered in the Preakness seven weeks ago, with the colt's veterinarian saying "we're in tough times right now."

Barbaro had the cast on the leg replaced for a sixth time Monday -- the fourth time in a week. The latest development followed many hours of surgery Saturday night when doctors replaced the metal plate and many screws and also treated an infection.

"I think we're in for tough times right now. I think we're going to have some tough days ahead," Dr. Dean Richardson said at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. "I'm being realistic about it. When a horse has a setback like this, it's a problem."

Richardson, the chief surgeon at the New Bolton Center, looked haggard during the briefing, and said it took more than 15 hours from the start of Saturday's surgery before Barbaro had fully recovered from anesthesia.

He said Barbaro was back in his stall in the intensive care unit, where he's been since the catastrophic injury occurred just a few hundred yards after the start of the Preakness.

"Right now, he's happier," Richardson said. "He's got a normal heart rate, normal temperature, he's eating like crazy. He's very hungry. He's making lots of manure. He looks actually pretty happy today. Now we have to see how he responds to what's going on."

The long cast applied Saturday night was replaced by a shorter cast Monday, and "was done with Barbaro in a sling and under mild sedation," Richardson said.

"The long cast was used as extra support during the anesthetic recovery phase," Richardson said. "It is much easier for him to move around his stall and get up and down with a short cast. We also found and treated an abscess in his left hind foot that was bothering him."

Barbaro is receiving pain medication, antibiotics and other supportive care, Richardson added.

After a relatively smooth recovery, Barbaro has now undergone three procedures in less than a week.

The infection developed in the leg in which the titanium plate and 27 screws were inserted after Barbaro's catastrophic injury at the start of the Preakness.

After Barbaro showed discomfort and had a "consistently" high fever, the plate and screws were replaced and the infection treated late Saturday night.

"It's one of those setbacks that we've prepared ourselves for as best we can," owner Gretchen Jackson said Monday. "Sure it's disappointing, but we've been warned. ... But a lot of bone has healed, a lot. There's a lot of good stuff. And the horse is incredibly strong, healthy and we've got to keep the faith."

Last Monday, Barbaro had the cast on his injured leg replaced and three new screws inserted. On Wednesday, another new cast was applied after the horse showed discomfort. The small abscess on the sole of his left hind hoof also developed.

Richardson said Sunday that Barbaro's main fracture was healing well, but the pastern joint -- located above the hoof which was shattered into more than 20 pieces -- continues to be a concern. The joint, which doctors are attempting to fuse, was stabilized with "new implants and a fresh bone graft."

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Thanks for the updates. I have been trying to follow this. I hope he can pull through.

 

[kdibattista]

New info... doesn't sound good

Doctors say the Derby winner is "facing tough odds and his condition is guarded."

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) - July 12, 2006 - Barbaro's condition turned "potentially serious" again Wednesday, a day after the Kentucky Derby winner's veterinarian gave a more upbeat report, saying the colt was stable and resting comfortably.

Dean Richardson, the chief surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, also said the colt faced "tough odds" and that doctors were looking at all possible treatments to keep the 3-year-old comfortable.

"Our entire staff is determined to do all they can for this magnificent horse," Richardson said in a statement issued by the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals.

Barbaro, who shattered three bones in his right hind leg at the start of the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course on May 20, has undergone three surgical procedures in the past week. In the most recent one Saturday, Richardson replaced the titanium plate and 27 screws and treated two infections - one in the injured leg and a small abscess on the sole of his uninjured left hind hoof.

"Today we will focus on further diagnostics and keeping our patient comfortable," Richardson said.

Doctors also are keeping watch for any signs of laminitis, a potentially fatal disease sometimes brought on by uneven weight balance.

A major concern centers on the infection in the right rear pastern joint - located above the hoof - that was shattered into more than 20 pieces. While most of the fractured bones have healed, the joint that connects the long and short pastern bones remains problematic.

Barbaro's recovery had been going smoothly until this recent series of setbacks. Saturday's surgery lasted three hours, and Richardson replaced the hardware that had been inserted into the leg the day after the Preakness.

"He's facing tough odds, and his condition is guarded," Richardson said.

Owner Roy Jackson said the sudden changes in Barbaro's condition made this a tough week.

"We've been concerned all along," Jackson said Wednesday. "It's just one of those things. It's very difficult to climb the mountain when something like that happened."

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I just saw a quick blurb on the tv for tonight's news. I was hoping when they said it was "a drastic change in his condition" that it would be for the better. Prayers said.

 

[kdibattista]

They announced a press conference at 11:00am tomorrow morning... doesn't sound good