42 | PET GAZETTE | RVC
ulcers have been treated with medical management or surgery and surgical repair of a corneal ulcer is usually indicated in cases of the more severe cases ( deep or full-thickness ulcers or infected ulcers ). The scarring after surgery is one of the biggest problems with regards to regaining vision for patients .
Corneal ulceration is a very common cause of potential sight loss or even loss of an eye in animals . We treat all species at the RVC , from our most common , being brachycephalic dogs to the less common , rabbits and rodents .
Deep corneal ulceration can lead to perforation of the eye and this in turn may lead to loss of sight or even loss of the eye if the damage is very severe . There are many different described surgical techniques and several materials can be used to reconstruct the cornea . However they have varying success at regaining a good visual outcome with corneal clarity .
The cornea must remain relatively dehydrated , with minimal blood vessels or pigmentation in order for it to be clear and transparent ; if the cornea is not transparent , then vision is compromised . With any corneal injury or surgery there will be some scarring and this may affect vision , so the goal of any procedure is to minimise this .
Most of us are aware that as humans we can opt into an organ donation programme . If the worst were to happen to you or one of your loved ones , then the option for giving their organs to help another is there … What you probably didn ’ t know is that this can be true for man ’ s best friends too .
Here at the RVC , we currently have a pet corneal donation bank and owners of pets who sadly pass away are able to donate their corneas to our bank if they wish to do so .
Corneal tissue is ideal for deep and penetrating corneal injury repairs because it is tough and allows for transparency to be regained after surgery .
Donated eyes are kept for 24 hours at four degrees Celsius and then frozen . The corneal tissues is used principally for corneal repair of deep corneal ulcers or perforations in any patient . This is done by performing a penetrating or non-penetrating keratoplasty , where the donor cornea is sutured into the defect in the recipient ’ s cornea . The eyes are also used for reconstruction of the globe after excision of limbal neoplasms ( such as melanocytomas ).
The corneal bank is only able to exist due to the generosity of owners , who donate their pets ’ eyes to us . It is such a difficult time but some owners feel grateful of the chance to help other animals regain their sight . The ophthalmology team would like to thank everyone for all their efforts over the last few years since the programme has been running , this has enabled us to make a big difference in what we can offer our patients .
www . petgazette . biz May 2018