Ophthalmologist performs first eye surgery on gorilla
Vets realised they needed expert help to perform a cataract operation on young Leslie
9th January 2020
Californian cataract surgery specialist Dr Chris Heichel has operated on thousands of human patients, ranging in age from babies to 105-year-olds, but he has never operated on a gorilla — until now.
The ophthalmologist carried out the first successful cataract surgery on a young western lowland gorilla, named Leslie, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the US.
Working with a team of doctors and veterinarians, he removed and replaced the damaged lens during the operation.
