MANAGEMENT OF CATARACTS IN HORSES

Equine cataract surgery has historically been fraught with complicatio ns and associated with a poor prognosis. The advent of phacofragmentat ion, however, has changed the perception of cataract surgery in horses . Choosing the appropriate patient is an integral part of the process- the best patient for surgery has a cataract as the only ocular lesion. There also should be no evidence of uveitis, and corneal changes shou ld be absent. Phacofragmentation is the most appropriate surgical opti on for lens removal in horses. Several postsurgical complications can cause blindness-the most important of these is uveitis. Uncontrollable inflammation can lead to fibrosis and scarring of the posterior capsu le, miosis, extensive posterior synechiae, and corneal edema. The shor t-term success rate of equine cataract surgery is above 80%; however, very guarded prognoses are still warranted because of the potentially disastrous postsurgical complications.