Thai veterinarians have successfully removed one big gallstone weighing 1.7kg gallstone from an elephant, a unique world record for veterinarians.
The Faculty of Veterinary at Kasetsart University (Kamphaengsaen Campus) has announced the successful surgery of Sai Thong, a 50-year-old female elephant, which is only the second instance in the world of a gallstone being removed from an elephant.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Nikorn Thongthip said the faculty had performed a similar surgery for the first time on Kham Moon, a 45-year-old male elephant. However, the case of Sai Thong is different, as In the case of Kham Moon, the faculty removed over 162 small gallstones weighing a total of 8kg.
He said the success of this operation is not only a big step for Thailand’s veterinary circles, but is also an important milestone in elephant treatment among the global veterinarian community, adding that many foreign institutes have asked the faculty to share the knowledge on treating large animals with other veterinarians around the world.
