Corneal Comeback: Fixing a Fierce Lioness’s Eye 

In late March, a 12-year-old African lioness presented with a serious eye injury. A closer look revealed a corneal perforation in her left eye — most likely the result of a fellow lion getting a little too friendly with their claws. Ah, the perils of big cat social life.

Round One: Stitching Things Up 

With no time to waste, we took her to surgery. The plan? A corneoconjunctival transposition (CCT) — a nifty technique where a healthy piece of her own cornea is transposed into place to patch the hole. It’s kind of like using a piece of good road to cover a pothole — and it brings blood vessels along for the ride to help with healing.

A Bump in the Road 

Things were looking good… until the one-month checkup. A small section at the leading edge of the graft had broken down, exposing deeper corneal layers. Not ideal, but not a total setback either.

Round Two: Patch Job, Take Two 

Back to the operating table she went. This time, we reinforced the area with two dehydrated amniotic membrane discs — nature’s band-aid for the eye. These were neatly layered and secured in place, giving her cornea the backup it needed to heal.

The Eye of the Survivor 

Post-op, she’s healing beautifully. Discomfort is down, the eye’s holding steady, and we’re optimistic she’ll be back to surveying her kingdom in no time.

This case is a good reminder that fast action, clever surgical strategies, and vigilant aftercare are key when it comes to animal ophthalmology. Whether it’s a lioness or a lapdog, eyes deserve nothing less than top-tier TLC.