In the first multi-institutional study of its kind, researchers recently reported that eye enucleation (surgical removal of the eye and associated structures) with the horse standing and sedated is safer and more economical than the traditional method of enucleation in fully anesthetized horses, and it’s equally effective.

Veterinarians typically perform enucleation because of severe ocular trauma or infection, tumors of the eye, and various other inflammatory or degenerative conditions that threaten the health and well-being of affected horses.

According to lead author Patrick Pollock, BVMS, Cert. ES, Dipl. ECVS, a board certified surgeon from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, enucleations have traditionally been performed in horses that are fully anesthetized and lying on their sides.

A multitude of problems are inherent with this approach, including unanticipated eye movements during the procedure, low blood pressure, cardiac dysrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) or cardiac arrest, and difficult or prolonged recoveries. The latter situations are risks inherent to any surgery performed under general anesthesia