| Abstract: | A 10‐year‐old male castrated Holland Lop rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was presented for severe ulcerative stromal keratitis of the right eye and a luxated hypermature cataract and glaucoma of the left eye. Staged bilateral enucleation was elected. A LigaSure? electrosurgical bipolar vessel‐sealing device was used as a means to minimize intraoperative and post‐operative hemorrhage, especially that associated with the orbital venous plexus. The LigaSure? was used to ligate and transect all extraocular muscles, the optic nerve bundle, and the base of the third eyelid with no complications encountered. Overall, the LigaSure? was easy to use, resulted in minimal hemorrhage, and reduced surgery time. This is the first report of the use of a LigaSure? to aid in the enucleation of a rabbit. Although only positive results were achieved as an alternative to conventional methodologies, its use in clinical practice should be that of caution until a larger study evaluating the long‐term results is performed. |
