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SPOTLIGHT ON OPHTHALMOLOGY

For nearly 50 years veterinary ophthalmology With the integrated keratometer, a ring of light
has been progressively refined and last year (in photo 1), means the RVC’s ophthalmology
the RVC Animal Care Trust launched an appeal specialists are now able to visualise the corneal
to raise funds for a brand-new ophthalmology curvature in real time. This has proven to be a
microscope for the RVC’s Small Animal great help during corneal suture placement when
Referrals Hospital. performing cataract and corneal graft surgery. The
built-in camera and video recording system in the new
The RVC Animal Care Trust would like to thank Pat microscope also means that large groups of students
and Dennis Myers for their generous donation and can see what the surgeon sees in fine detail. These
all the Trusts, Foundations and loyal supporters that features have improved RVC student teaching and
helped to fund this vital equipment. We were thrilled the training of new ophthalmic specialists.
with the support we received from everyone and the
hospital now has a state-of-the-art microscope that
is enabling RVC opthalmic specialists to perform
incredibly precise and accurate surgery.

The new microscope has provided a greater depth
of field compared to the previous model and the
technology allows better visualisation of fine anatomic
details. This is a big advantage for routine procedures
and is also very helpful when performing surgeries
on particularly small eyes. Guineapigs, for example,
have significantly smaller eyes than other species so,
when two-year-old Poppy was referred to the hospital
for loss of vision and diagnosed with cataracts in
both eyes, it was possible for the RVC team to help
her. The higher quality optics of the new microscope
significantly improve visibility, making it easier to
perform surgery which in turn means a shorter
anaesthetic time which is particularly important
for our smaller, more vulnerable patients.

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