Eye enucleation in a cat is an operation technique. Operation technique - eye evisceration with intraocular prosthesis in dogs and cats

Vision is one of the most important components of the life of any organism. The eye is a complex and therefore the most fragile structure. The organ of vision enables both animals and humans not only to perceive the world around them, in all its diversity of colors and shades, but also to look into the depths of the soul of every living being.

A perfect organ of vision allows people to be people with their inner world, and cats - cats - graceful representatives of nocturnal mammals engaged in predation. Cats see perfectly in low light and can perceive a wide range of shades, vision allows them to perceive the outside world, gives an idea of the surrounding objects, their size, shape, movement in space and distance.

The eyes of cats, like any other organ, can suffer from diseases. The causes of diseases are varied: infectious lesions, injuries with claws and blunt objects, tumor processes, indirect effects on vision of systemic diseases, etc. In the first days of illness, cats may only have reddening of the conjunctiva, lacrimation, or slight squinting. Also, a number of infections occur with purulent discharge, for example, the herpes virus of cats, infectious rhinotracheitis, and chlamydia.

Unfortunately, in our time of dissemination of information technology, many owners self-medicate using human medicines that they learned about on the Internet, or by analogy with the therapy of their own diseases once passed, without taking into account the peculiarities of the delicate structure of the organ, which independently worsen the course of the disease. . In all cases of concern for a pet's vision, the best solution to correct the problem is to seek the opportunity to contact a veterinarian.

In veterinary clinics, ophthalmologists have the opportunity to carefully examine the eye visually and with the help of special equipment. All pathologies can be conditionally divided into those that are amenable to therapeutic treatment, these include conjunctivitis, keratitis, iritis, and others; and pathologies that require surgical interventions. With certain complications, the eyeball becomes a source of severe suffering and the pathological process that develops in the orbit of the eye can become a serious threat to the life of the animal.

The veterinarian, having assessed the condition, decides to remove the eye. Terminal stages of glaucoma, penetrating injuries of the eyeball, contusions or blunt eye injuries, extensive hemorrhages and damage to the vascular component of the organ, panophthalmitis (inflammation of all the membranes of the eye), tumor processes are not cured during therapeutic treatment and the moment of remission does not occur. Complications developing inside and directly next to the eye can only be stopped surgically. Surgical intervention is aimed at eliminating the pathological focus, which causes discomfort and pain to the animal.

There are three main methods by which cat eye removal: enucleation, evisceration and exenteration.

Eye enucleation- removal of the entire organ while preserving its surrounding components (eye muscles, eyelids, etc.)

evisceration- a surgical operation that consists in removing the contents of the eyeball and preserving one empty outer shell of the eye (sclera).

Exenteration- this is the removal of the eye with all the contents of the orbit, in which only the bone walls remain. This method is used for malignant tumors of the eye and orbit.

Removal of the cat's eye is performed under general anesthesia, followed by suturing and prescribing the necessary medications. The tactics and method of surgical intervention is determined by the attending physician at the appointment, after collecting an anamnesis, examination and obtaining the results of the required tests.

To avoid organ loss, it is important for pet owners to remember that healthy cat eyes are clean, wide open and do not require special care - you just need to periodically inspect them and rinse as necessary with hygienic drops that are sold at any pet store. Also, the cat's eyes should be washed if you notice slight reddish-brown crusts in the inner corner of the eye or small tear stains. However, since eye diseases for cats, alas, are not uncommon, when suspicious changes appear in the eye area, it must be shown to a veterinarian.

Mamaev Andrey Vladimirovich,

veterinary surgeon at SVK "Own Doctor" of the Kuzminki branch

Indications for removal of the eyeball - a blind and painful eye, for example, with panophthalmitis, uncontrolled glaucoma, buphthalmos, chronic uveitis with retinal detachment, subatrophy of the eyeball (with secondary torsion of the eyelids), proptosis with complications (hemophthalmos, rupture of the membranes), and removal is also necessary for intraocular neoplasms.

Eyeball removal surgery technique

There are 2 methods of eye removal: subconjunctival and transpalpebral. In my opinion, the second one is preferable, as it allows you to perform the operation as cleanly as possible.

Hair from the eyelids is shaved, the skin is treated with 10% betadine. Perform a circular incision of the skin and subcutaneous tissues around the palpebral fissure, retreating 5-7 mm from the edges of the eyelids. The incision is deepened with scissors so as to completely cover the conjunctival sac and the anterior part of the eyeball. It is important to completely remove the third eyelid and its gland, the conjunctiva. Further, they continue to separate the tissues from the eyeball, exposing the sclera and cutting off the optic nerve. A purse-string type suture is applied to the retrobulbar tissues with absorbable suture material to stop bleeding. Next, the subcutaneous tissues are sutured, the skin is sutured without leaving holes.

In the postoperative period, a systemic antibiotic is used for 5-7 days, sutures are treated once a day, a protective collar is most often not required.

The sutures are removed after 14 days (Figure 1).

The removal of the eyeball has its advantages: the speed of the procedure (20 minutes), a short recovery period (3-5 days), a low probability of complications, and a low probability of the need for a second operation.

The only conditional minus of the operation can be called a cosmetic effect, it may not satisfy the owner (the patients themselves did not complain).

Prosthetics of the eyeball (evisceration) is an operation in which all the contents of the eyeball (the lens, vitreous body, retina, choroid) are removed through the incision of the sclera, the cornea and sclera remain, and a silicone implant is placed in the resulting cavity.

Indications for prosthetics this is a blind and painful eye, but for the success of the operation, the good condition of the auxiliary apparatus of the eye (normal humidity, full blinking) is important, and there is also contraindications : infected eye, chronic uveitis, intraocular neoplasms.

A poor candidate for prosthetics is also a patient with subatrophy of the eye or severe buphthalmos, since the prosthesis is placed according to the size of the eye minus 1-2 mm.

Cats are also poor candidates due to the fact that in cats the main cause of eye loss is glaucoma secondary to uveitis or intraocular neoplasm, there is also evidence that trauma to intraocular structures in cats can provoke the development of post-traumatic feline sarcoma, so enucleation is reasonable for cats.

Eyeball prosthetic surgery technique

The preparation of the surgical field is carried out as during removal, the conjunctival sac is irrigated with 0.2% betadine solution. An incision is made in the bulbar conjunctiva and sclera along the limbus at 180 degrees. The contents of the eyeball are removed and the prosthesis is placed inside. The choice of prosthesis is carried out in advance, measuring the eye by ultrasound, the prosthesis should be slightly smaller than the size of the eye in order to suture the sclera with high quality. The sclera is sutured with absorbable suture material, a continuous suture, and the bulbar conjunctiva is also sutured.

Video of the operation (prosthetic eyeball after eye loss):

In the postoperative period, a systemic antibiotic for 7-10 days, non-steroidal systemic anti-inflammatory drugs, a local antibiotic, and a protective collar are required.

14-20 days after the operation, the eye does not require any care.

Prosthetics have their disadvantages: surgery takes longer (up to 45 minutes), longer recovery period (up to 10-14 days), higher risk of complications (reaction to the prosthesis, corneal erosion), potential risk of reoperation (removal in case of complications) .

The prosthetic eye has the only plus: a good cosmetic effect (Figure 2).

Eye enucleation is an operation to remove the eyeball. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to save the animal's eyeball, especially in cases of late visits to an ophthalmologist or in case of severe eye injury, tumors and complicated cases of eyeball prolapse. The eyeball is removed only when vision is irretrievably lost and when the eye causes suffering to the animal, as well as in cases of risk of involvement in the pathological process of organs and tissues adjacent to the orbit.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia in an operating room and with the necessary equipment. It consists in removing the eyeball, the extraocular muscles and the lacrimal glands and the edges of the eyelids. After that, sutures are applied to the eyelids. Later, the site of the operation hides the hair, and the defect does not seem repulsively ugly.

Eyeball prolapse in a foundling dog

The same dog after enucleation. Drainage for outflow is visible in the corner of the eye

Prices, rub.

The price does not include consumables and additional work

Question answer

Good day. In your clinic, a dog (Labrador) underwent ACL surgery using the TPLO method. April 16, 2019 will be a month. There will be a similar one on the second paw. But there is a desire to sterilize the dog by endoscopic method as soon as possible. On May 16, 2019, we need to visit you for a control appointment and X-ray. Is it possible to have a dog spayed on the same day? Or early? And all these manipulations can harm the speedy recovery of the dog (given the fact of the frequency of the use of anesthesia and other medications), as well as the course of recovery for the development of the operated paw. Thank you! Irina

Question: Is it possible to do TPLO surgery and sterilization at the same time?

Hello! Yes, everything can be done at the same time. It does not affect the recovery process in any way.

Hello! The dog had acute renal failure 2 years ago after anesthesia. It's been two years since the tests are normal. The dog is now 8 years old. After each estrus, she has heavy litters. The dog has not given birth. Can it be sterilized? What is the best anesthesia to use? I'm very afraid of drugs now. Tatiana

Question: Is it possible to sterilize a dog if there was acute renal failure after anesthesia?

Hello! Sterilization shown. The risks, taking into account normal tests, are no greater than those of other planned patients. Propofol anesthesia is used.

Operations on the eyes of cats and cats

Our four-legged friends often have eye problems. We recommend that you visit your veterinarian regularly, at least once a month, for a checkup. This is especially important to do at a young and adult age.

There are situations when drops or antibiotics can be dispensed with in treatment, but with severe damage and diseases of the visual organ, complications may arise that require surgery on the eyes of cats.

Symptoms of eye disease

The best way to preserve your pet's vision is to have regular checkups. You can do it yourself at home or at the vet. Having detected problems in the early stages, they can be eliminated with medication, without resorting to surgical intervention. When examining an animal, be sure to wash your hands and treat them with alcohol. Gently open the eyelid without pressing it.

If you find the following symptoms of eye disease in cats and cats, contact your veterinarian immediately:

Redness - the most common problem, the cause of which can be diseases of varying severity, which can lead to complete loss of vision.
Pus is secreted is a sure sign of conjunctivitis. Such inflammation occurs quite often and is accompanied by purulent discharge, the appearance of a crust on the eyelid.
There was an injury and because of the severe pain, the cat does not let me near him.
Blepharospasm - inability to open the eyelid or constant squinting.
Increased tearing, fear of light.

cat eye surgery

Operations on the eyes of a cat are performed with the following pathologies:

Corneal ulcer the most difficult disease that requires immediate treatment. Extensive and deep damage must be urgently operated to prevent blindness.
Inversion of the century less common than in dogs, but still there are such cases. This is a pathology when the skin fold is tucked inward. Because of this, eyelashes and hair touch the cornea, irritating the mucous membrane. If the problem is not corrected in time, this will lead to loss of vision and even removal of the eyeball.
Cataract- characterized by clouding of the lens, deterioration of vision to complete blindness.
enucleation- removal of the eyeball. It is required in cases where the visual organ cannot be saved, its functions are lost, or it threatens the life of the animal.

Benefits of treatment at the Komondor veterinary clinic

The cat ophthalmology department at the Komondor Veterinary Center accepts patients with eye problems. The clinic is equipped with European ophthalmological equipment for comprehensive diagnostics, conservative or surgical treatment required.

Our veterinary center employs experienced ophthalmologists of the highest qualification who will provide professional medical care to your pet.

If you find symptoms of eye disease in cats or you see that the pet is injured, then immediately consult a doctor. Timely detection of pathology and the appointment of treatment will avoid surgery on the eyes and maintain the health of the visual organ.

Definition

Enucleation is an operation in which the eyeball is completely removed.

Indications.

The main indications for enucleation are various pathological processes with a completely impaired visual function, while the purpose of the operation is to relieve the animal of pain, thereby improving the quality of life. Another indication may be various neoplasms of the eyeball, in this case, the operation is performed in an attempt to prevent further spread of the tumor throughout the body (metastasis).

The essence of the operation

During the operation, the eyeball itself is removed, along with the third eyelid and most of the conjunctiva (mucous membrane). Also, during the operation, the edges of the eyelids are removed and the palpebral fissure is sutured, which prevents infection of the wound and creates a better cosmetic effect.

In developed countries, the removal of a part of the eyeball (evisceration) is widely used, and a special implant (eye prosthesis) is installed in this place. In the conditions of Russian reality, this type of operation is poorly accessible.

Postoperative care

The immediate postoperative period (3-4 days) is antibiotic therapy and prescribed painkillers. When applying intradermal sutures, the wound does not require additional treatment.

Forecasts

Most animals tolerate this type of surgery well. After the operation, an infectious inflammation of the surgical wound is likely, but this complication is much rarer and can be easily corrected if it occurs. An extremely rare complication of the operation can be blindness of the neighboring eye, which develops with excessive tension on the optic nerve during the operation.

Margot, preparing for surgery at the veterinary clinic, she was terribly unlucky, bitten by a dog, in this photo she looks more like a character from a horror movie.

And here Margot immediately after the operation in the veterinary clinic (two photos with an interval of about an hour and a half).

This sphinx was also very unlucky, as a kitten he had a herpes virus infection that deprived him of his sight. The owners did not dare to operate the animal for a long time, but after surgical treatment in a veterinary clinic, they noted an improvement in the quality of life - an increase in the animal's mobility and playfulness.

P.s. Animals, unlike humans, do not have inferiority complexes, and they absolutely do not care how they look from the outside. But animals, just like humans, are capable of experiencing pain, and one of the doctor's tasks is to relieve him of this pain.

Veterinary clinic of Dr. Shubin, Balakovo