This lovely boy was purchased as an exciting new ride. Unfortunately, during the float ride home, he sustained an injury to the eye. The injury caused a rupture to the eyeball itself and can be seen around the edge of the eye near the junction of the brown colour (iris) and white colour (scleral-limbal border). When the eye ruptures in such a location, the brown iris is seen prolapsing through the hole. This luckily plugged the eyeball (globe) from losing too much internal fluid and therefore stopping the eye from becoming deflated.
A low-pressure eye (deflated eye) is at risk of retinal detachment and long-term blindness.
The client was able to treat the eye with pain relief and preventative antibiotics whilst the eye healed. However, the prolapsed iris was preventing the healing of the cornea.
So…. What was next…
Becci had to suture the eyeball closed.
With sedation and topical pain relief, the surgery was performed in our hospital crush. The prolapsed iris was trimmed, and special sutures were used in a tension relieving pattern to bring the edges of the cornea together.
An ocular treatment system was sutured into the eye to allow easy administration of antibiotics and anti-spasm drugs for the iris.
This horse is now 4 weeks post-surgery and the surgical site is free of infection and has fully healed. The sutures used will dissolve over the next 2-4 weeks.
Luckily due to the early detection by the owner, dedicated treatments by the owner, and a successful surgery, there are no long-term complications for this lovely horse.