Technique, postoperative complications, and visual outcomes of phacoemulsification cataract surgery in 21 penguins (27 eyes): 2011-2015.

OBJECTIVE

To describe surgical technique, postoperative complications, and visual outcome in penguins after phacoemulsification lens extraction surgery.

ANIMALS STUDIED

Twenty-one penguins (27 eyes) that had phacoemulsification from 2011 to 2015 at Animal Eye Associates. Species included are as follows: 14 southern Rockhopper (18 eyes, 66.6%), 4 Gentoo (4 eyes, 19%), 2 King (3 eyes, 9.5%), and 1 Chinstrap penguin (2 eyes, 4.8%). Eleven of the penguins were females, and 10 were males with average age at the time of surgery being 27.5 years (range of 22-31 years).

PROCEDURE

This is a retrospective study of phacoemulsification cataract surgery patients from 2011 to 2015. Visual outcome was evaluated by veterinary ophthalmologists at postoperative recheck examinations and subjectively by penguin keepers using individual bird surveys and paired t tests for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

All eyes were functionally visual after surgery and at the time of last follow-up. Based on keeper surveys, 81% (17/21) of penguins showed immediate improvements in overall quality of life and 90% (19/21) of penguins exhibited improvement in mobility and behavior within their exhibit following cataract removal. Of the 14 penguins that received 1:5 intracameral atracurium during surgery, 10 (71.4%) had moderate mydriasis, 1 (7.1%) had minimal mydriasis, and 3 (21.4%) showed no effect to the pupil. Seventy percent of the cases had phacoemulsification times less than 60 seconds/eye; the mean time was 72 seconds. Sixteen eyes (59.3%) underwent anterior capsulotomy only, planned anterior and posterior capsulotomies were performed in 3 eyes (11.1%), and the entire lens capsule was removed due to capsular fibrosis and wrinkling in 8 eyes (29.6%). The most common short-term postoperative complication was temporary mild blepharospasm and/or epiphora, reported in 8 eyes (29.6%) from 7 penguins (33.3%). Long-term complications, 2-6 years postoperatively, included posterior synechiation resulting in dyscoria (10 of 24 eyes, 41.7%) and capsular fibrosis in all penguins with residual lens capsule (19/19, 100%).

CONCLUSION

The prognosis for vision and behavioral improvement after phacoemulsification surgery in penguins is good, with low incidence of vision-threatening complications.