Unilateral phacoemulsification in a captive African elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>)

Abstract

Background: The following case reports describe the clinical presentation, surgical protocol, post-operative care, and long-term follow-up of an African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) presenting with a unilateral cataract. Case description: A 42-year-old female African elephant presented for the assessment of ocular discomfort and visual deterioration in the left eye. Pre-surgical treatment included topical anti-inflammatory medication for 20 days prior to surgery. On the day of surgery, following anesthetic 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. Conclusion: Despite remaining aphakic, this case presents a successful visual outcome. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no other published report of phacoemulsification in a captive elephant.

Knowledge about cataract and associated factors among adults in Yirgalem town, Sidama National Regional State, southern Ethiopia, 2020: a community based cross sectional study design

“…Among this 65.2 million people are suffered from with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to cataract [ 1 ]. The proportion of blindness due to cataract among all eye diseases ranges from 5% in developed countries to 50% or more in low- and middle-income regions of western and eastern sub-Saharan Africa (5.1%) and South Asia [ 1 , 9 ]. The prevalence of low vision and number of blind persons due to cataract in Ethiopia are estimated to be 3.7 and 1.6% respectively.…”

“…Despite the presence of effective interventions to reduce the risk of acquiring vision impairment due to the cataract; such as health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation [ 1 ]. The lack of accessibility to health care and limited financial resources becomes prohibitive factors for patients with cataracts in developing countries [ 1 , 9 ]. Moreover, the inadequate knowledge of the availability of services and disease by itself are also remains to be the hurdle of the problem [ 1 , 11 , 12 ].…”