Can Chris Dixon Save Neeka’s Eye? | Friesians Struggle to Heal

Neeka's Eye Condition and Challenges

• ⚠️ Neeka's eye condition deteriorated significantly on Christmas Eve, necessitating an urgent visit to specialist ophthalmologist Chris Dixon.
• 🔬 A previous graft failed because the tissue retracted, not due to broken stitches, indicating a poor healing response.
• 🧬 The horse's healing is unusually slow, with blood vessels mobilizing much slower than expected, suggesting an underlying tissue disorder common in Friesians.
• 👁️ There is also a concern for the other eye, which shows signs of similar deterioration, making decisions about the affected eye more complex.

Treatment Options Presented

• 🚫 Option 1: Do nothing, continuing medication, but risking eye rupture, especially during the holiday period.
• 🔁 Option 2: Repeat the previous operation, applying another donor tissue disc and blood vessel band, but with a high chance of similar failure.
• 🔄 Option 3: Corneoscleral transposition graft, a technically challenging surgery involving moving a section of Neeka's own cornea and white of the eye (containing stem cells) to the defect.
• ❌ Option 4: Remove the eye, to eliminate rupture risk, but this was complicated by the potential issues with the other eye and Neeka's current comfort and vision.

Difficult Decision and Surgical Plan

• 💡 The owner chose the corneoscleral transposition graft (Option 3) to give Neeka the best possible chance, despite the increased risks.
• 🩺 This procedure, typically done under general anesthetic, was planned for standing sedation, adding to the technical difficulty for the surgeon.
• 🤝 A critical condition for proceeding was the understanding that if the operation failed during the procedure, the eye would have to be removed immediately.

Successful Surgery and Recovery

• ✅ The surgery was successful, with Dr. Dixon expressing pleasure and optimism about the outcome.
• 🧬 The new graft involved moving Neeka's own corneal tissue and stem cells from the limbus into the defect, which is expected to improve healing and reduce rejection risk.
• 👁️ Post-operatively, the eye is expected to retain significant vision, potentially 85% or more, despite anticipated scarring.
• 💊 Neeka requires intensive medication six times a day, with a follow-up appointment scheduled in two weeks to monitor healing.