Media Contact:
Dr. Brian C. Gilger, 919/513-6239
Dave Green, 919/513-6662

Oct. 21, 2004

‘Small-Incision’ Surgery a Better Way to Cure Pet Cataracts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A breakthrough computer-aided technology at North Carolina State University now allows veterinarians to remove cataracts in dogs and cats and implant new lenses through an incision roughly the size of the tip of a pencil. The new procedure affords animals a less painful recovery with fewer complications.

Specially trained veterinary surgeons employ the computer-controlled system to make a 3.2 millimeter opening in the cornea of the animal’s eye to insert a small probe. Using ultrasonic waves, the surgeon breaks up the cataractous lens that is impairing vision and removes the lens through the incision. The surgeon then is able to implant the new, foldable synthetic lens through the same 3.2 millimeter opening – a vast improvement over previous procedures.

Traditional surgeries involve making large incisions in the eye to both remove the cataractous lens and to insert a rigid synthetic replacement lens.

“Small cataract incisions decrease inflammation, pain and complications associated with surgery,” said Dr. Brian C. Gilger, professor of ophthalmology at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. “This advanced ‘small-incision’ surgery has a success rate greater than 90 to 95 percent.”

The procedure is offered through the Ophthalmology Service at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

NC State ophthalmology clinicians have participated in studies of the new foldable polymer lens for several years. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is the only facility in North Carolina offering the new computer-controlled cataract phacoemulsification and aspiration technology and small-incision technique. The operation costs from $1,200 to $1,600, depending on the individual case.

Patients are discharged the day after the operation and provided with a special collar to protect the eyes from irritation for one to two weeks. The pet’s activity is restricted initially, and special eye drops are applied four to five times a day for several weeks. Additional medication may be required for a couple of months. Progress examinations are made at regular intervals to prevent or correct any complications.

Cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment in dogs and cats and, left untreated, may progress to total blindness. Diabetes, genetic disorders, advanced age, trauma, and retinal disorders may cause cataracts. A bluish appearance to the eye does not always indicate the disease, however, and may simply be a result of normal aging that does not interfere with vision.

Candidates for the new cataract surgery must be referred to the NC State Veterinary Teaching Hospital by a family veterinarian.

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