MADURAI: A barn owl rescued in the city with a fractured wing was successfully operated upon by a team of veterinary surgeons on Thursday.
It was the first avian orthopaedic surgery of its kind carried out on a wild bird in Madurai, said the team of surgeons after completing the surgery.
The bird, a sub-adult over one year old, was found injured near a house at Viswanathapuram near P&T Nagar on Wednesday. Residents informed the city-based wildlife conservation organisation Oorvanam, which rescued the injured bird.
They informed the forest department, and it was decided to perform orthopaedic surgery to fix its wing. A team of surgeons, headed by clinician Dr N R Saravanan, carried out the surgery that lasted nearly two hours.
Explaining the procedure, Dr Merilraj said the surgery was delicate since the bones of the avian species are pneumatic, containing air cells, and are very fragile.
They drilled holes on both sides and used the trans-fixation method to connect both ends of the wing. They applied two pins at both ends of the wing bones and used k-wire for connecting the broken wing.
M-seal was used to make an epoxy putty instead of the connecting rod and clamps used for fractures in mammals like cats and dogs.
The bird will be kept under post-operative observation for six weeks. It will be kept at the rehabilitation centre for rescued wild species.
Start a Conversation
Post comment