News

September 28, 2009

Endangered Gorilla at Miami Metrozoo to Receive Rare Cataract Surgery

 Dr. Tim Cutler, Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists

Josephine, a 42 year old female lowland gorilla will have surgery performed on each eye to remove severe cataracts and implant new lenses. This state-of-the-art procedure has been done many times on humans but less than a dozen times on gorillas. At 42, Josephine is considered a senior citizen in gorilla society where life expectancy is rarely beyond 50 and usually less. Her advanced age is believed to be a major factor in the severity of her cataracts which only allow her to see light, dark, and shadows and for all practical purposes make her blind. The condition has gradually worsened with age to the point where the veterinary staff felt that the improvement to the quality of life that the surgery could provide outweighed the risks of the procedure itself. That being said, Josephine’s advanced age does present heightened risks to an already risky anesthesia and success isn’t guaranteed by any means. Josephine’s procedure will be performed using the latest generation technology used regularly in people and dogs, carefully migrated from Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists’ operating room in West Palm Beach, Florida and reassembled especially for this surgery at Metrozoo.

There has been extensive preparation for this surgery by an expert team of medical and veterinary professionals. Dr. Christine Miller, Metrozoo’s Chief Veterinarian, will be in charge of immobilizing Josephine and keeping her stable throughout the procedure. Dr. Frank Spektor, a medical ophthalmologist from the Center for Excellence in Eye Care will be the lead surgeon for the cataract removal and implant procedure. He will be assisted by Dr. Tim J. Cutler, a veterinary ophthalmologist from Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists who specializes in veterinary lens implants and cataract surgery, and Dr. Lorraine Karpinski, a veterinary ophthalmologist from Pinecrest Veterinary Hospital who has performed a variety of eye procedures on different animals at Metrozoo in the past. Dr. Spektor will take the lead due to the similarities between the eyes and cataracts of gorillas and those of humans.

As part of the preparation for this procedure, Josephine was closely examined by all members of the team during a routine immobilization for an annual physical last month. She received an ultrasound of the eyes to ensure that there was no retinal detachment. In addition, careful measurements were taken to determine the proper strength of the intraocular lenses that will be implanted. Finally, she received an electroretinogram to measure retinal function and ensure that it is good. The results of all of the tests and measurements indicated that Josephine is indeed a good candidate for this procedure.

During the procedure, Josephine will receive one tiny incision in each eye from which the cataracts will be removed and through which the new lenses inserted. The new lenses will be foldable to facilitate their insertion through the small incision and in turn help eliminate any post-operative discomfort or astigmatism. Because it is not practical to give eye drops to the gorilla post-operatively as would be routine follow-up care for a human, she will receive slow-release sub-conjunctival steroids that will mimic receiving daily eye drops for a week after surgery. If all goes well, Josephine should be back to normal (with much better eyesight!) and back on exhibit within 2-3 days.

In addition to the professional services being donated by Dr. Spektor, Dr. Cutler, and Dr. Karpinski, Alcon Laboratories, a world leader in eye care, will be providing the lenses that Josephine will be receiving. Much of the equipment being used for the procedure is being provided by Moria, a company specializing in opthalmology instruments. All of these donated services and supplies represent a huge savings without which this procedure would not be possible.