Dr. Michael Snyder Performs Puppy Cataract Surgery

In a team effort, Dr. Michael Snyder, a cataract specialist at the Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI), and veterinarians Dr. Sheri Kyle and Dr. Nina Owens performed a surgery at Kyle Veterinary Hospital in Sycamore Township on Thursday to restore the sight of two 12-week old yellow Labrador Retrievers, Mason and Lilly, born with opaque congenital cataracts, an uncommon condition causing functional blindness.

The puppies were part of a litter born in Kentucky and taken to an animal shelter. The shelter contacted Dr. Kyle, a veterinarian who had established a non-profit animal shelter called Kyle's New Hope Animal Rescue, and asked her to take the puppies or else they would be euthanized. Kyle's New Hope Animal Rescue takes pets with medical conditions or illnesses that would otherwise be put down, such as Mason and Lilly. Kyle's New Hope Animal Rescue contacted a veterinary ophthalmologist, but neither the non-profit shelter, nor the veterinary specialists had resources to cover the procedure for these shelter dogs. Their options were dwindling.

Dr. Owens contacted her friend, Dr. Snyder, and explained the situation. There have been previous cases of, for example, a neurologist helping animals with spinal cord trauma, she said. But this was a first for us and we're grateful Dr. Snyder was willing to work with us to give it a try and give these puppies a second chance. Preoperative testing of the retina has indicated that the male puppy has only a 30% chance of getting functional improvement in vision, since his vision may be limited by both the cataract and a retinal problem. Notwithstanding, the doctors have attempted to rehabilitate vision for each of the puppies. How much function each puppy can regain will be seen by their actions following surgery. Doctors Owens, Kyle, and Snyder remain optimistic.

Similar to human patients, the cataract is a cloudiness within the natural lens of the eye. This cloudy material was removed in the surgery, allowing light to pass into the eye. In both humans and dogs, placing a manmade implant lens to take the place of the natural lens is desirable to achieve the best possible outcomes. Since both Mason's and Lilly's eyes are much smaller than usual, even for young puppies, an implant was difficult to place to place.

We all worked together to save these dogs' vision, said Dr. Snyder. Dr. Snyder consulted a veterinary ophthalmologist, who kindly offered technical advice on the differences between human and dog eyes and how dog eyes behave differently in surgery. This was a coalescence of the Kyle's New Hope Animal Rescue, veterinary medicine, human medicine, and industry coming together to help these blind pups. It is volunteerism and community service at its best. Rhonda Kurz, CEI's Director of Nursing, and Gary Reed, Surgical Technician at CEI, also volunteered their time to assist with the surgery.

Once the puppies recover, Dr. Kyle is securing a family to adopt the dogs. The puppies are expected to be able to live full lives but will require routine checkups for their eyesight. The shelter also has an elderly Boxer available for adoption. In the past two years since opening the shelter, Dr. Kyle has placed more than 100 animals with their forever homes.

Dr. Snyder's medical practice at CEI deals with diseases of the front of the (human) eye. He was the first surgeon in the United States to implant a custom made artificial iris. He will be heading a formal FDA study for this unique device. Dr. Snyder received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and the Board of Directors of the American College of Eye Surgeons, the latter of which he has served as a member of the Board of Directors. He has served as a regular contributor, reviewer, and editorial board member of several of the major ophthalmology journals.