The following case reports describes the clinical presentation, surgical protocol, post-operative care and long-term follow up of an African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) presenting with a unilateral cataract. A 42-year-old female African elephant presented for assessment of ocular discomfort and visual deterioration in the left eye. Pre-surgical treatment included topical anti-inflammatory medication for twenty days prior to surgery. On the day of surgery following anaesthetic induction a two-handed phacoemulsification technique was performed in the left eye. She was left aphakic post-operatively.
Nine days post-operatively the patient had an intact menace response, dazzle reflex and direct pupillary light reflex. Fundoscopy at that stage was unremarkable. Follow up information was available for 5 years, from the time of surgery to the present day.
Despite remaining aphakic this case presents a successful visual outcome. To the authors knowledge there is no other published report of phacoemulsification in a captive elephant.
Key words: African elephant, cataract, Loxodonta Africana, phacoemulsification
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