[Hrennilasi]

Komodo dragon creates history
By Surekha A. Yadav, TODAY | Posted: 18 June 2010 0623 hrs
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A Komodo dragon (Picture courtesy of Wildlife Reserves Singapore).


SINGAPORE: Yoko, a Komodo dragon, has helped the Singapore Zoo make veterinary history.

A procedure to treat wounds in humans was used - for the first time - in November last year on a reptile in captivity.

While laying eggs, Yoko had wedged herself in a crevice of the cave where she was housed. The result was a 16-centimetre gash in her spinal region. The damaged tissue left an open wound that was exposed to possible infection, so the Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) Therapy was used to treat her.

A team of vets and keepers from the zoo and surgeons from the National University Hospital opted for this method - which is clinically proven to treat serious or complex wounds through the use of negative pressure - after consulting several medical experts in the region.

Infection was kept at bay with daily manuka honey dressings and antibiotics, said Dr Serena Oh, assistant director (Veterinary), at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which manages the zoo. The vacuum treatment started in November and lasted for four months.

A major challenge was the nature of the Komodo dragon's skin. Said Dr Oh: "It does not have a subcutaneous layer of tissue that lies immediately below the top layer of vertebrate skin that would allow us to create a local skin flap to cover the wound."

VAC Therapy provided the solution to generate tissue growth quickly with zero risk of infection. Yoko, the mother of the first successfully-hatched Komodo dragon bred in Asia outside of the reptiles' native Indonesia, is recovering well. - TODAY