Blind fawn undergoes cataract surgery in Afyon

A two-month-old fawn, which has been found by locals in the western province of Afyonkarahisar after she lost her mother because it was blind, has undergone cataract surgery in the Afyon Kocatepe University (AKU) Veterinary Faculty Health Application and Research Center. 

AKU Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation, Education, Research and Application Center (AKUREM) Director Associated Professor Emine Hesna Kandır said the new-born fawn was found some two months ago in the Sultandağı region and taken to the center.

She said the eyes of the fawn are blind from birth and that is why it was separated from her mother. 
"We have been taking care of the fawn for two months. During this process, we fed the baby with various foods suitable for the red deer. Later the female fawn, which we named Umay, underwent cataract surgery in the Veterinary Faculty," she said. 

The Veterinary Faculty Department of General Surgery member Associated Professor Kamuran Pamuk, who performed the surgery, said it was the first cataract operation performed on a deer in Turkey. 

Pamuk said cataracts were rarely seen in wild animals. "This surgery is routinely performed on cats and dogs but this is the first time in a wild animal. Both eyes of the red deer fawn had cataracts from birth. We have performed the surgery on one of the eyes and we will operate the other eye about one month later," said Pamuk. 

Pamuk said the surgery was successful and they hope that vision in both of the fawn's eyes will be normal in the coming days.