Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
German shepherd dog cornea and sclera repaired with pig tissue graft
By Lewin, G A·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1999·Caldew Veterinary Group·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Repair of a full thickness corneoscleral defect in a German shepherd dog using porcine small intestinal submucosa.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A German shepherd underwent surgery to repair a serious eye injury after a limbal melanoma (a type of tumor) was removed, leaving a hole in the eye. The veterinarian used a special material from pig intestines, along with a graft from the dog's own conjunctiva, to fill the defect. Within two weeks, the dog's eye showed signs of healing, and by six weeks, the graft was successfully integrated, with no further issues. This approach proved effective for repairing similar eye injuries in dogs.
People also search for: German shepherd eye surgery · limbal melanoma treatment in dogs · corneal graft recovery in dogs
Abstract
Porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was used, in conjunction with a conjunctival graft, to repair a full thickness corneoscleral defect resulting from the excision of a limbal melanoma in a German shepherd dog. The SIS was found to provide adequate mechanical support and to act as a suitable physical barrier in place of the excised cornea and sclera. Corneal vascularisation was present distant to the graft by two weeks postoperatively but this was effectively controlled with topical cyclosporin. By six weeks postoperatively, the graft had become incorporated into the cornea and sclera, and the associated corneal neovascularisation had resolved. From this initial case, porcine SIS would appear to be a suitable material for the repair of corneoscleral defects in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10444755/