Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diamond burr treatment for stubborn corneal ulcers in cats
By Anastassiadis, Zoe et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2022·Veterinary Ophthalmic Referrals, Australia·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Corneal diamond burr debridement for superficial non-healing corneal ulcers in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with stubborn corneal ulcers that didn't heal with regular treatments underwent a procedure called diamond burr debridement (DBD). This method involved using a special tool to gently remove damaged tissue from the eye, and a contact lens was placed to help with healing. Out of 21 eyes treated, about 81% healed successfully, but some cats experienced a return of their ulcers after a few months, especially among Burmese cats. Overall, DBD proved to be a safe option for treating these eye problems, although it had a lower success rate compared to another surgical method.
People also search for: cat corneal ulcer treatment · diamond burr debridement for cats · Burmese cat eye problems · cat eye surgery recovery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical outcomes and efficacy of diamond burr debridement (DBD) treatment for corneal ulceration in cats. PROCEDURE(S): Medical records of cats that received DBD at two private practices between 2015 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. DBD was performed using a battery-powered, handheld motorized burr and a bandage contact lens was placed in 18/21 eyes. Corneal ulceration was considered resolved if the cornea was fluorescein negative with a stable epithelial surface. Recurrence was defined as return of corneal ulceration. Descriptive statistics and a Fisher's exact test were conducted on the study population. RESULTS: Twenty-one eyes from 20 cats with superficial corneal ulcers refractory to medical treatment underwent DBD. Domestic and Burmese were the most commonly encountered breeds and the median age of affected cats was 8.83 years (range 0.5-20 years). Corneal ulceration was present for a median of 14 days prior to DBD. Healing was achieved in 81% of eyes; with four eyes failing to heal and requiring further intervention. Corneal sequestrum was reported in one case that failed to heal. Of the healed cases, three cases recurred (17.6%) at a mean of 116.3 days (range 79-135 days). Burmese were overrepresented (p < .001) in cases that failed to heal or recurred (6/7 eyes; 85.7%). The median postoperative follow-up time was 93 days (range 6-1613 days). CONCLUSIONS: Diamond burr debridement is a safe, non-invasive treatment for corneal ulceration in cats but, compared with published results, it had a lower success rate than superficial lamellar keratectomy.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36152338/