Cataract phacofragmentation in horses.

This research studied the effectiveness and complications of cataract surgery using phacofragmentation in horses, following their vision restoration progress over a 15-year period.

Objective of the Research

• The primary aim of this research was to examine the effectiveness and associated complications of cataract surgeries employing phacofragmentation in horses.
• By following up on the visual restoration in the subject horses over an extended duration ranging from 1 to 15 years, the research intended to provide an extended view of the long-term implications and success rate of cataract surgery in horses.

Methodology

• The data for this research was garnered from a series of cataract surgeries carried out on fifty-one horse eyes from 36 horses over a period spanning 15 years.
• The surgical technique used by the researchers for removing cataract was phacofragmentation accompanied by aspiration.

Results

• Useful vision was restored in 30 out of 36 horses after surgery, demonstrating an approximate successful restoration rate of 83%.
• An encouraging revelation of the research is that one year after the surgery, 16 out of the 19 horses for which follow-up information was available, were still visual. Several of these horses continued their routine as working horses.
• Even at 5-6 years after the surgery, three horses were still visually active, underscoring the long-term success potential of the surgical procedure.

Complications

• The most frequent complication encountered during the operative procedure was tearing of the posterior lens capsule.
• Postoperative complications primarily included superficial corneal ulceration.
• In a significant finding, it was found that some cases developed postoperative infectious endophthalmitis, a severe eye infection that led to blindness. This complication occurred in four eyes of the three horses.

Conclusion

• This research contributes substantially to the understanding of cataract surgery effectiveness and its potential complications in horses.
• Despite some horses developing complications, a majority of them regained useful vision, reinstating the impact and usefulness of phacofragmentation as a successful cataract surgery technique in horses.