In this dvm360® interview, Joshua J. Broadwater, DVM, DACVO, with Charlotte Animal Referral & Emergency in North Carolina, explains when surgical procedure is acceptable for corneal ulcers and the way essentially the most generally used strategies assist assist the attention.
Broadwater will probably be delivering ophthalmology lectures at our Fetch Charlotte convention taking place March 15-17, 2024. Register here right this moment to safe your spot.
The following is a partial transcript of the video.
Joshua J. Broadwater, DVM, DACVO: When we’re talking about these contaminated ulcers and people stromal ulcers which might be getting deeper, and when there is a thought that they can not be managed medically, after they’re deeper—normally 60%, 70% deep within the cornea—that is when they need to be referred for surgical administration to attempt to save the attention and forestall rupture. And there is a couple surgical procedures which might be executed.
The commonest ones, what they’re meant to do, earlier than a rupture has occurred is that they’re meant to offer a structural assist over that deep ulcer, in order that we’re at much less threat of rupture with an expulsive sort harm the place every thing form of leaks out of the attention. And it is such a devastating loss to the attention, that both surgical procedure turns into a lot trickier, or typically you possibly can’t save the attention in any respect as a result of there’s been an excessive amount of harm from the rupture.
So, a few of the methods that give the perfect structural assist, the one which I take advantage of most steadily is a conjunctival graft the place a portion of the conjunctiva is grafted over high of that deep ulcer, which does a number of issues. It gives that structural assist, if a rupture happens, we nonetheless have that graft there. It additionally finally will get a blood provide in there to assist battle that an infection, and thicken up that cornea, so it is not in danger to rupture. So, my surgical procedure of alternative for deep ulcers is a conjunctable graft.
In this respective interview, Broadwater discusses medical remedy choices for corneal ulcers in dogs.
