The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>]

Pioneer surgery gives sight to blind gorilla 

A surgeon has carried out a pioneering operation to
restore the sight of a gorilla who was born blind.

Romina, a lowland gorilla at Bristol Zoo Gardens, had
congenital cataracts - cloudy lenses - in both eyes.

A cataracts was removed replaced with an artificial
silicon lens in an operation lasting more than two
hours.

It was the first cataract operation performed on an
adult gorilla in Europe. 

During the procedure, Romina was sedated and laid out
on two operating tables in the veterinary department
at the University of Bristol.

Sharon Redrobe, Bristol Zoo Gardens' head of
veterinary services, said: "As soon as Romina came
round from the operation we could tell that she could
see.

"She immediately reached towards food without
resorting to feeling her way. We're delighted that the
operation has been so successful and that she is
having the chance to explore her surroundings and
companions properly for the first time."

Jenny Watts, an ophthalmic surgeon from Winchester
General Hospital was assisted by two animal
specialist, David Gould, an expert on cataracts in
cats and dogs, and Dan Holden, a veterinary
anaesthetist.

Whether Romina's operation is ultimately successful
will not be known for another four to seven days.
Bristol Zoo Gardens hopes it will be possible to
operate on her other cataract in the near future.

Romina was born at Rome Zoo and hand-reared by
keepers. She came to Bristol in November 2001 as part
of an international breeding programme aimed at
protecting the threatened western lowland Gorilla.

Story filed: 06:14 Friday 12th April 2002

ADD 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax
http://taxes.yahoo.com/