![]() They include male bonobos, orangutans, and silverback gorillas. The six apes that received the cardiac monitors are experiencing the same type of health problems affecting humans: high blood pressure, and similar cardiac issues. “The coordination and commitment required has been staggering, and it shows just how much every professional – whether a doctor or a veterinarian or the caregivers who see these animals every day – are devoted to the health of these animals.” Priya Bapodra-Villaverde, Columbus Zoo senior veterinarian and executive committee member of the Great Ape Heart Project. “These procedures have been a breakthrough for these six individual great apes, but the cardiac monitors also provide critical knowledge to advance veterinary care for their species,” said Dr. ![]() Experts there are monitoring the data in real time and will alert Columbus Zoo veterinarians to any abnormalities so the apes can be treated with medications or other procedures. They track the apes for signs of irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias, and then upload the data to the Great Ape Heart Project’s database. The cardiac monitors were generously donated by Medtronic, are smaller than the size of an AAA battery, and are the same ones used to monitor human cardiac activity. ![]() Following the procedure, they quickly returned to their habitats. A cardiologist and an anesthesiologist – who usually treat people – joined Columbus Zoo veterinarians and experts from the Great Ape Heart Project, based at the Detroit Zoo, to implant a small cardiac monitor, a device about one-third the size of a AAA battery, into the apes’ chests. The Zoo brought together top medical and veterinary professionals to perform the procedures over three days on orangutans, bonobos, and gorillas. Six great apes with progressive heart disease – including, for the first time anywhere, two bonobos, a species that shares over 98 percent of the same DNA as humans – were successfully implanted with insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to help extend their lives. Here, we'll keep you updated on their progress! OCTOBER 2022 The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is extending the lives of six great apes suffering from heart disease with the help of cardiac monitors.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |