Publish date: 16 December 2024
Surgeons at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals responded to a very unusual request from a neighbour recently - to help a poorly orangutan at Blackpool Zoo.
The young orangutan, Jarang, had already undergone an unsuccessful operation for a bilateral inguinal hernia and vets at the Zoo felt they needed to call in further specialist expertise.
Jarang, who was born in June 2023 has delayed development and it was suspected that the hernias could be contributing to this problem by inhibiting his mobility. However, hernia surgery isn’t widely documented for vets treating orangutans. Luckily for Jarang, orangutans have a close physiology to humans, sharing 98% of their DNA.
After seeking permission from the Trust, advice from the GMC and its veterinarian equivalent, Alex Blackmore, Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and colleague Sarah Wood, Paediatric Surgical Consultant at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital agreed to help.
Working during their own time Alex and Sarah – who also runs an outpatient clinic and paediatric surgical operating lists at Blackpool Victoria Hospital - attended the Zoo for the surgery, volunteering their expertise to the veterinary team as the procedure took place. Several weeks later, Jarang is doing well.
Alex explained “We were really pleased with the outcome. Sarah works mainly at Alder Hey Children’s hospital and has performed hernia surgery on infants and I have used mesh in hernia surgery which we were prepared to use in Jarang’s case too. It was a surreal experience but we were keen to help and it’s important for the Zoo and for the hospital, being important Blackpool institutions, to support each other. It was a great honour for me to come to the Zoo and work with the great people there and definitely one of the highlights of my career”.
