Clinical Connections - Spring 2021

A TRANSDISCIPLINARY TRIUMPH – FIRST
CATARACT SURGERY ON GUINEA PIG AT RVC
CSean Sum, final year BVetMed student
lose collaboration between the commonly undertaken in Guinea pigs due Ophthalmology Service and Exotics to the prohibitive cost of surgery. However, Referral Service saw a Guinea pig Poppy’s owner felt that her quality of life
successfully undergo cataract surgery. This was significantly hampered by her loss
and which the RVC team has performed for a number of years.
The small anatomical size of Poppy’s eye meant that a special phacoemulsification tip had to be ordered for her surgery. Guinea pigs also have a shallow anterior chamber which meant there was less room for the surgeons to manipulate their instruments.
The surgery was aided by the use of the Ophthalmology Service’s new operating microscope which was purchased with
the support of the Animal Care Trust. The higher quality optics significantly improved visibility and ease of performing the surgery.
is the first recorded procedure of its kind in the UK.
Two-year-old Poppy was referred to
the ophthalmology team at RVC Small Animal Referrals for loss of vision. She was diagnosed with bilateral mature cataracts and phacolytic (lens-induced) uveitis.
Although surgery is the sole definitive treatment for restoring vision in cataractous eyes, it is an elective procedure not
of vision and was keen to have surgery performed.
The procedure was performed by Charlotte Dawson, Head of the Veterinary Ophthalmology Service, and was assisted by Resident Amy Andrews. While this was Dr Dawson’s first cataract surgery on a Guinea pig, she was able to extrapolate from her experiences with rabbit cataract surgeries, which present similar challenges
CLINICAL CONNECTIONS RVC Clinical Services Newsletter Spring 2021
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