“Hans” Continues to Search & Rescue with Help of a Donated Cornea & Ophthalmic Surgery

July 7th, 2015 | Posted in Procedures / Services

“Hans” is a search and rescue dog who works with North East Mobile Search and Rescue (NEMSAR), a search and rescue group that covers a large section of New York’s Hudson Valley and searches for lost or missing people. Recently, “Hans'” right eye was diagnosed with a condition called Epibulbar Melanocytoma. This is a benign tumor that grows along the corneal-scleral margin in young dogs. Though this condition is benign and should not cause systemic health concerns, it is locally aggressive and will continue to grow over time. As this tumor grows, it can interfere with normal ocular function such as blinking, ability to spread the tears, and even vision. Surgical removal of this tumor can be very difficult, as the corneoscleral tissue is only 0.5 mm thick in a normal patient. In “Hans’” case, the tumor invaded the entire depth of the corneoscleral margin, and therefore a tissue graft was necessary to repair the defect.

Dr. Christa Corbett removed the Epibulbar Melanocytoma with the aid of a surgical microscope. The resulting defect measured 8 x 14mm, and therefore a rigid graft material was essential. A corneoscleral transplant was performed using ocular tissue donated from a deceased dog, with his owner’s permission. This generous donation saved “Hans’” eye, as a standard semi-synthetic graft material would not have been strong enough to close a defect of this size.

Even with this transplant “Hans” still carried risks such as ocular infection, intraocular hemorrhage, tissue graft rejection, and blindness. “Hans’” owners were devoted and very diligent with his post-operative care, and as a result “Hans” is doing great! The Corneoscleral transplant was successful, and the donor tissue is now fully incorporated as part of “Hans’” eye. “Hans” once again has normal vision and can now return to his work with North East Mobile Search and Rescue (NEMSAR).

To learn more about the specialty ophthalmology services offered at Upstate Veterinary Specialties and about eye conditions that can impact your pet’s vision, please visit our ophthalmology page.