Visual outcome following phacoemulsification in English Cocker Spaniels with suspected progressive retinal atrophy: A retrospective multicenter study of 54 cases (2002-2017).
OBJECTIVE
To describe the visual outcome following phacoemulsification in English Cocker Spaniels (ECS) affected by cataracts and suspected progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).


ANIMALS STUDIED
Fifty-four client-owned dogs.


PROCEDURES
A multicenter, retrospective study was performed including ECS with suspected PRA which underwent phacoemulsification. PRA was suspected on ophthalmic examination before and after surgery, and/or after electroretinography (ERG) was performed. Visual outcome was assessed by menace response per eye at seven time periods post-surgery (P1= 25-90 days, P2 = 91-180 days, P3 = 181-364 days, P4 = 365-549 days, P5 = 550-729 days, P6 = 730-1094 days, and P7 ≥ 1095 days). Descriptive statistics were performed. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify predictors associated with vision after surgery. Odds ratio and confidence intervals were reported. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Owners were invited to participate in a questionnaire.


RESULTS
Phacoemulsification was performed in 85 eyes. Median age at surgery was 9.09 years (min. 2.17 years, max. 13.49 years). At all re-examinations, up to and including P5, significantly more eyes were visual than before surgery (P ≤ 0.003). Odds for vision were significantly increased for eyes that underwent surgery. Electroretinograms were performed in 75/85 eyes that underwent surgery, demonstrating low b-wave amplitudes. There was no significant effect of the age, gender, vision before surgery, presence of dazzle reflex, cataract stage or abnormality on gonioscopy on visual outcome. The questionnaire response rate was 48.2%. Most participants (92.5%) felt that cataract surgery led to improvement of the dog's quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
English Cocker Spaniels with suspected PRA may benefit from phacoemulsification with vision up to 2 years following surgery.
['Koll-Hampp|Sarah|S|', 'Enache|Andra-Elena|AE|', 'Fenollosa-Romero|Elena|E|', 'Chang|Yu-Mei|YM|', 'Busse|Claudia|C|', 'Oliver|James|J|', 'Dawson|Charlotte|C|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9974-1244', 'Matas Riera|Màrian|M|']
D000818:Animals D002386:Cataract D002387:Cataract Extraction D004283:Dog Diseases D004285:Dogs D005260:Female D008297:Male D018918:Phacoemulsification D012162:Retinal Degeneration D012189:Retrospective Studies D016896:Treatment Outcome D014785:Vision, Ocular
phacoemulsification progressive retinal atrophy cataract