Gorilla saved from the mist

An NHS eye surgeon has carried out Europe's first successful operation to remove a cataract from an adult gorilla, it was revealed today.

In a two-hour operation Jenny Watts, medical ophthalmologist of the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, removed the cataract from the right eye of 21-year-old Romina, a western lowland gorilla at Bristol Zoo, where she is part of an international conservation programme. Romina has been virtually blind since birth because of cataracts in both eyes, thought to be congenital.

The operation was carried out on 12 March at Bristol University's veterinary department, and also involved a veterinary anaesthetist, ophthalmologist and theatre staff. Details were only revealed today, now the critical first few weeks have passed.

Before the operation, Romina had learned to shade her eyes with her hand to cause the pupils to dilate, allowing her to see some shapes in dim light. The only comparable operations were on an adult gorilla in Utah, and two on juvenile animals in Rotterdam. The medical team hope to operate on the other cataract soon.