Mars, a 10-year-old orange cat from New Jersey, underwent a rare brain surgery at the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon (VRCCO) in Bend, Oregon. The report says the operation removed a tumor on his pituitary gland.
The report says the tumor produced excess growth hormone. This drove Mars's high insulin needs, which reached 20 units daily without adequate control, and contributed to an enlarged heart and neurological symptoms. Medication and radiation had not reduced the tumor enough.
The procedure was a transsphenoidal hypophysectomy, which surgically removes the pituitary gland. The report says only a small number of veterinary hospitals in the United States perform it. Dr. Annie Chen-Allen, a veterinary neurologist with experience at Washington State University, led the surgical effort. Neurology intern Dr. Dani Madson, other VRCCO specialists, and a critical-care team also took part. Dr. Tina Owen and Dr. Linda Martin, both from Washington State University, traveled to Bend to assist.
The team prepared for two months using cadaver specimens, 3D imaging, and custom templates made from CT scans. The report says the h