"whistling" noise while galloping

I have a 5 yo TB racehorse who broke his maiden MSW going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. He recently began to "whistle" when galloping...we did a video scope on him while breezing 5/8....His larynx started out fine, but became fatigued and began to open slower and not as wide on his left side....the LSU vets gave a recommendation for a tie-back...I understand that the down-time for this is app 6 weeks.......I would like info on alternatives and also suggestions to achieve the best possible result...I am considering running him until April, and doing the surgery then, if it is necessary..he now gallops in a Serena's Song bit with figure eight (properly positioned, LOL) and we used Flair strips for his work..he whistles lightly, not loudly...Thanks for any opinions!!!

If he needs flapper surgery, he needs surgery. He is not going to run up to his full ability until he has an unobstructed airway. I would do it as soon as possible and not force him to struggle for air. The last thing you want is for him to lose his 'try'.

Has he had Strangles or any other problem that can cause partial paralyses?

He'd be what we call a 'roarer' in NZ. He's only whistling now, but a lot of times these horses really starting making some noise. Get the surgery, give him a spell with some turn out.

Really he's running his best while he has insufficient air entering his lungs, get the surgery before he has other issues like bleeding (lungs).

Afraid to say that's your only option if you want to keep him track sound.

Most vets wont advise surgery unless it truly is the best option- this isn't something you can mess with too much if you want him to be competitive.
I would say you should take the vet's advice and get it done, who knows, it might greatly improve his performance!

Thanks for all the input. My main reservation about the surgery is that many times they are worse-off after than before Many horses have feed and hay refluxing and coming out their nostrils after this surgery. Some breathe even worse after....sometime having repeated surgeries to repair the damage from the first surgery. We have decided to take him to Rood and Riddle in KY to have it done. They seem to have the best record.