CATARACT-EXTRACTION IN THE DONKEY - EVALU ATION OF 19 CASES

A surgical procedure for extraction of a cataracteous lens from donkey s is described that was performed on 24 cataracteous eyes of 19 donkey s of both sexes (14 unilateral and 5 bilateral). Intracapsular extract ion technique was used for treatment of mature and hypermature catarac t (21 eyes) while extracapsular technique was used for lenticular cata ract in which the lens capsule was transparent (3 eyes). During surger y, vitreous presentation (either complete or partial) occurred in 9 ey es out of 24 (37.5 percent), The follow-up of the cases varied between 1 - 6 months. The results and the surgical success rate were; 11 cata racteous eyes (45.80 percent) had complete recovery, 6 cataracteous ey es (25 percent) had partia corneal opacity, 5 cataracteous eyes (20.80 percent) had complete corneal opacity and 2 cataractous eyes (8.30 pe rcent) had phthisis bulbi. The main cause of vitreous presentation was the presence of syneresis of vitreous humor which cannot be diagnosed before operation, the presence of iridocyclitis which cannot be treat ed completely prior to surgery and some mistakes during destruction of the zonules. Complete corneal opacity was mainly due to corneal edema and inflammatory conditions. Partial corneal opacity may be due to th e inflammatory processes induced by the suture material at the sclerol imbal incision. Phthisis bulbi was mainly due to complete vitreous pre sentation and collapse of the eyeball.