Advertisement
Veterinary

NSDR invests £50,000 specialist equipment to help prevent animals going blind

Surrey-based animal hospital, North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR), has invested £50,000 in specialist equipment which can help prevent animals going blind.

The animal hospital has taken delivery of an endolaser to help tackle cases of glaucoma in pets, particularly dogs.

The highly advanced laser endoscopy machine has proven very successful in combating the dangerous eye condition, which is caused by damage to the optic nerve. 

Richard Everson, an RCVS and European specialist in ophthalmology at NDSR, said: “The endolaser is a micro-endoscope system which uses a fibre-optic cable to allow simultaneous video imaging and laser functions within the eye. 

Advertisement

“It is a remarkable, minimally invasive system which gives us an exciting treatment option in the management of glaucoma, especially in dogs.The endoscope is passed into the eye and used to view the ciliary body, which is the tissue that produces the fluid which fills the anterior chamber of the eye.”

He added: “Secondary glaucoma is a frustrating, recognised complication of cataract surgery in dogs and is the main cause of vision loss in eyes that have had surgery. 

“Initially it can be managed with eye drops but ultimately progresses to a point where medical management is no longer working and vision is lost. However, surgical treatments can help some patients keep their vision, and the endolaser is one of these treatments.”

NDSR offers specialist-led services in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and spinal surgery.

Back to top button