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Bear goes under the knife for cataract
By Lu Feiran |
July 17, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A 13-year-old black bear living in the Shanghai Wildlife Park has successfully undergone cataract surgery on her right eye and her vision has been fully restored, park officials has announced.
Surgery on the bear Wei Ni lasted an hour and the animal has recovered in a week's time; vision has been fully restored.
It was the first time for the wildlife park that cataract surgery had been performed on any animal there.
The bear Wei Ni was sent to the park in 2000.
Vision problems were first noted around six months ago. Park attendants found that the bear was rather slow to eat food placed on her right side.
The eye showed discharge and she had lost almost all vision in her right eye.
"Attendants noticed changed behavior and the discharge, so a veterinarian was called and she diagnosed the cataract," said said Qi Hua, a park official.
Wei Ni is still in her prime years and the cataract would restrict her movements and lower her life quality.
After drug therapy failed to resolve the problem, the park decided on surgery.
"Although cataract removal has been perfected in humans, it's still difficult for animals," Qi said. "We chose a multi-faceted plan."
Anesthesia was the first problem. Wei Ni was so active, jumping and moving all around that staff had a hard time grabbing her for an injection.
The anesthesia took more than half an hour to take effect, almost as long as the actual operation.
"A cataract operation for humans only needs five minutes, but it needs much longer for animals because of the different head structure," Qi said.
Surgery on the bear Wei Ni lasted an hour and the animal has recovered in a week's time; vision has been fully restored.
It was the first time for the wildlife park that cataract surgery had been performed on any animal there.
The bear Wei Ni was sent to the park in 2000.
Vision problems were first noted around six months ago. Park attendants found that the bear was rather slow to eat food placed on her right side.
The eye showed discharge and she had lost almost all vision in her right eye.
"Attendants noticed changed behavior and the discharge, so a veterinarian was called and she diagnosed the cataract," said said Qi Hua, a park official.
Wei Ni is still in her prime years and the cataract would restrict her movements and lower her life quality.
After drug therapy failed to resolve the problem, the park decided on surgery.
"Although cataract removal has been perfected in humans, it's still difficult for animals," Qi said. "We chose a multi-faceted plan."
Anesthesia was the first problem. Wei Ni was so active, jumping and moving all around that staff had a hard time grabbing her for an injection.
The anesthesia took more than half an hour to take effect, almost as long as the actual operation.
"A cataract operation for humans only needs five minutes, but it needs much longer for animals because of the different head structure," Qi said.
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