Injured bald eagle to undergo skin graft surgery

[Donna]

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - This Friday the bald eagle who had a mysterious burn mark on top of his head will be receiving a skin graft to replace the damaged skin
The healthy feathered skin will be taken from his inner leg and attached to the top of his head. This is essential because without without feathers on his head he could not survive in the wild.


The bird will be relocated to the zoo and the veterinarians will care for him while he undergoes surgery.

http://media.graytvinc.com/images/810*455/bald-bald-eagle.jpg Click for pic

[MAK]

Ouchy! 

[Dot_Forrester]

Poor guy. Hope the feather graft is successful, allowing him to survive in the wild. Wonder how this odd injury occurred.

Dot in PA

[AlisonL]

Poor guy. Hope the feather graft is successful, allowing him to survive in the wild. Wonder how this odd injury occurred.

Dot in PA

The plastic surgeon, Dr. Stice, determined that his injury was caused by an electrical burn of some kind, which not only destroyed the skin and tissue on the top of his head, but also two layers of bone. This poor eagle has been through so much.

He is now out of surgery. This small update was posted two hours ago:

OMAHA, Neb. —

A bald eagle that was found injured on Memorial Day underwent surgery Friday.

The eagle, injured in June, was rescued by Fontenelle Forest's Raptor Recovery Center.

The animal is recovering from surgery at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Doctors said the animal suffered an electrical burn on the top of its head. Surgeons and veterinarians removed the charred bone and completed a skin graft.

"So, Dr. Shrader took feathers and skin from the eagle's groin and fashioned it in the shape of the wound on his head, and we sewed it to the top of his head," Dr. Coleen Stice said.

http://www.ketv.com/article/bald-eagle-burned-recovering-from-skin-graft-surgery/11549206

There are also updates on the Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery site, with question and answer videos with Dr. Stice. I can see the videos, but for some reason the sound is distorted and unintelligible. Not sure why.

https://www.facebook.com/fontenelleforest/

I hope everything goes well for the eagle's recovery. Just glad that people have been willing to help him.

[Dot_Forrester]

Thanks, Alison, for the additional info.  Best wishes to this eagle - it has to be really painful.

Dot in PA

Poor guy. Hope the feather graft is successful, allowing him to survive in the wild. Wonder how this odd injury occurred.

Dot in PA

The plastic surgeon, Dr. Stice, determined that his injury was caused by an electrical burn of some kind, which not only destroyed the skin and tissue on the top of his head, but also two layers of bone. This poor eagle has been through so much.

He is now out of surgery. This small update was posted two hours ago:

OMAHA, Neb. —

A bald eagle that was found injured on Memorial Day underwent surgery Friday.

The eagle, injured in June, was rescued by Fontenelle Forest's Raptor Recovery Center.

The animal is recovering from surgery at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Doctors said the animal suffered an electrical burn on the top of its head. Surgeons and veterinarians removed the charred bone and completed a skin graft.

"So, Dr. Shrader took feathers and skin from the eagle's groin and fashioned it in the shape of the wound on his head, and we sewed it to the top of his head," Dr. Coleen Stice said.

http://www.ketv.com/article/bald-eagle-burned-recovering-from-skin-graft-surgery/11549206

There are also updates on the Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery site, with question and answer videos with Dr. Stice. I can see the videos, but for some reason the sound is distorted and unintelligible. Not sure why.

https://www.facebook.com/fontenelleforest/

I hope everything goes well for the eagle's recovery. Just glad that people have been willing to help him.

[MAK]

It's amazing that they could do that for the eagle. I hope it all works out. 

[AlisonL]

Injured eagle's surgery at Henry Doorly Zoo 'went very smoothly,' doctor says

A more complete update on the eagle from omaha.com. It includes a video in which Dr. Stice provides information on the surgery. Not only does she do remarkable work; she also donated her services to help this eagle.





http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/injured-eagle-s-surgery-at-henry-doorly-zoo-went-very/article_403fd3cc-8e80-5236-b790-8d5514289511.html

[Dot_Forrester]

Here's yet another person, Dr. Stice, who deserves a special award for her caring and skill. Hope the eagle makes it. That's two wonderful stories in one day!

Dot in PA

Injured eagle's surgery at Henry Doorly Zoo 'went very smoothly,' doctor says

A more complete update on the eagle from omaha.com. It includes a video in which Dr. Stice provides information on the surgery. Not only does she do remarkable work; she also donated her services to help this eagle.





http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/injured-eagle-s-surgery-at-henry-doorly-zoo-went-very/article_403fd3cc-8e80-5236-b790-8d5514289511.html

[AlisonL]

Update on the eagle from the Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery site, posted today:

When the Raptor Recovery Program at Fontenelle Forest got the bird they were at a loss for answers. Luckily plastic surgeon Coleen Stice knew what to do.

“Surprisingly bird physiology turns out to be a lot like mammalian physiology so I feel pretty comfortable doing a full skin graft on this bone. This is exactly what I would do if it was a human,� said Stice.

Stice, along with Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium veterinarian Trenton Shrader, took the eagle into surgery.

“What is unique about this eagle procedure is that it is in a unique location being on top of the head and a unique species,� said Shrader.

During surgery the doctors sanded off the surface of exposed bone and put in a skin graft taken from the bird's inner thigh.

“The skin just stuck immediately,� said Stice.

Then the doctors put gauze and stapled it in place and put a cover dressing on it hoping the skin graft doesn't move.

“Now we just keep our fingers crossed that he doesn't tear it loose,� said Stice.

And that’s key because if the skin graft moves the blood vessels would tear off, so they are keeping the eagle in a secluded place, “Human actively is very disruptive and can be quite an anxiety-inducing experience for him so we set up a facility so he is not troubled by people coming in and out. We'll have cameras set up for people to monitor him 24 hours a day,� said Shrader.

When the eagle recovers he won’t be bald anymore; he'll have a nice new hairdo.

“They won't be white and this is a bald eagle, so if the feathers grow back it will be brown, he'll look like he has a toupee,� said Stice.

The next 10-14 days are critical to the recovery of the eagle because that's how long it takes for the blood to go into the skin graft.

If the graft doesn't move, doctors said the hope is to have the eagle be a free bird again in a month to 6-weeks.

https://www.facebook.com/fontenelleforest/posts/1612579542108629

[AlisonL]

Found a really promising update today on the bald eagle who had surgery:

Injured bald eagle treated at Henry Doorly Zoo healing well, will not need more surgeries

Omaha, NE -- The injured bald eagle who had a skin graft surgery at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is healing well and will not need additional surgeries, the zoo said Tuesday.

The eagle, called "Eagle 2017-172" was found near Syracuse, Nebraska, and had surgery on Aug. 4.

The bald eagle was re-evaluated Monday by Dr. Coleen Stice, an Omaha plastic surgeon helping treat the eagle, and Dr. Trenton Shrader, Zoo veterinarian.

The animal's care team says the graft looks excellent at this time with 90 percent successful attachment. The treatment plan is to allow the remaining ten percent to heal on its own without any future surgeries.

"We are happy so many people have taken interest in this eagle's recovery," said Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery Director Janet Stander. "Anytime we can pull together the expertise and resources to tackle a truly unique case like this, it makes the eventual release that much more meaningful to us at Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. This eagle still has healing to do before he can be released but he has truly gone from a hopeless case to a success story."

The bald eagle will be kept at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's Hospital for two more weeks to be monitored and continue antibiotic treatment.

Following the 14 days, the intent is to transfer Eagle 2017172 to Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery for eventual release.

http://www.weny.com/story/36150451/injured-bald-eagle-treated-at-henry-doorly-zoo-healing-well-will-not-need-more-surgeries

[Kris G.]

Found a really promising update today on the bald eagle who had surgery:

Injured bald eagle treated at Henry Doorly Zoo healing well, will not need more surgeries

Omaha, NE -- The injured bald eagle who had a skin graft surgery at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is healing well and will not need additional surgeries, the zoo said Tuesday.

The eagle, called "Eagle 2017-172" was found near Syracuse, Nebraska, and had surgery on Aug. 4.

The bald eagle was re-evaluated Monday by Dr. Coleen Stice, an Omaha plastic surgeon helping treat the eagle, and Dr. Trenton Shrader, Zoo veterinarian.

The animal's care team says the graft looks excellent at this time with 90 percent successful attachment. The treatment plan is to allow the remaining ten percent to heal on its own without any future surgeries.

"We are happy so many people have taken interest in this eagle's recovery," said Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery Director Janet Stander. "Anytime we can pull together the expertise and resources to tackle a truly unique case like this, it makes the eventual release that much more meaningful to us at Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. This eagle still has healing to do before he can be released but he has truly gone from a hopeless case to a success story."

The bald eagle will be kept at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's Hospital for two more weeks to be monitored and continue antibiotic treatment.

Following the 14 days, the intent is to transfer Eagle 2017172 to Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery for eventual release.

http://www.weny.com/story/36150451/injured-bald-eagle-treated-at-henry-doorly-zoo-healing-well-will-not-need-more-surgeries

Excellent news!  Thanks!

[MAK]

 

[Kris G.]

Good news!

http://www.omaha.com/living/zoo/injured-eagle-that-underwent-skin-graft-has-become-drastically-stronger/article_dbe9d879-c5b0-531a-a028-6a0caa99f409.html

[Dot_Forrester]

  yes, good news. It would be so interesting to follow this eagle, assuming he is released, to see if having dark feathers on top of his head instead of white would cause a problem finding a mate.

Dot in PA

Good news!

http://www.omaha.com/living/zoo/injured-eagle-that-underwent-skin-graft-has-become-drastically-stronger/article_dbe9d879-c5b0-531a-a028-6a0caa99f409.html

[AlisonL]

Good news!

http://www.omaha.com/living/zoo/injured-eagle-that-underwent-skin-graft-has-become-drastically-stronger/article_dbe9d879-c5b0-531a-a028-6a0caa99f409.html

Thanks, Kris! That is great news.

The eagle looks a lot better, but more importantly, he looks as if he is feeling much better. What a brave eagle he is.

Photos: Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery.