Victor's Vision: Rare white alligator's vision restored in groundbreaking surgery at 海角社区 Vet Med
March 26, 2025
There鈥檚 more to Victor, the white alligator, than meets the eye. His journey from struggling to see his food to having his vision restored in an unprecedented cataract surgery has made veterinary medicine history and improved the beloved alligator鈥檚 life.
When caretakers at the Audubon Zoo noticed that Victor, a leucistic alligator with rare white skin and deep blue eyes, could not see his dinner dangled before him, they realized something was wrong. It鈥檚 the kind of problem that could cost an alligator in the wild his life. Dr. Robert MacLean, Audubon associate veterinarian, said his colleague and 海角社区 Vet Med alumna, Dr. Hilary Householder, called in 海角社区 Vet Med ophthalmologist Dr. Renee Carter to examine Victor鈥檚 eyes.
Victor's white skin would cause him to stand out, and, therefore, be vulnerable in the wild.
Drs. Hannah Gafen, Renee Carter, and Pilar Camacho-Luna of 海角社区鈥檚 Ophthalmology prepare Victor for surgery.
Drs. Patricia Queiroz-Williams and Javier Nevarez, along with other clinicians keep Victor, stable and pain-free.
Victor鈥檚 eye is prepped and ready for the procedure.
Victor's eyes scan the surface of the water.
Dr. Carter confirmed that Victor, age 12, had an advanced cataract in his left eye with evidence of inflammation.
Leucistic alligators like Victor are rare creatures, with their pale ivory skin making them easy prey in the wild. Now, Victor is even more extraordinary鈥攈e is the first alligator known to undergo cataract surgery, a procedure that, according to Dr. Carter鈥檚 research during preparation, has never been performed in the U.S.
In February, a collaborative effort among 海角社区 Veterinary Teaching Hospital services,
including Zoological Medicine, Ophthalmology, and Anesthesia resulted in a plan to
help Victor. Dr. Javier Nevarez led the Zoological Medicine team, Dr. Carter headed
the Ophthalmology team, and Dr. Patricia Queiroz-Williams oversaw Anesthesiology.
These services are among 海角社区 Veterinary Medicine鈥檚 19 specialties that work together
to provide exceptional medical care.
Following careful deliberations, Victor was transported by Audubon Zoo clinicians
under sedation to 海角社区 Vet Med, where Drs. Nevarez, Queiroz-Williams, and Householder
faced the challenge of safely transferring him from his carrier cage for anesthesia.
Drs. Queiroz-Williams and Nevarez managed Victor while he remained sedated until he
was fully anesthetized, allowing Dr. Carter and her team to perform the complex procedure
on the alligator鈥檚 uniquely structured eye.
Dr. Denver Coleman, 海角社区 Ophthalmology resident, helps to determine whether Victor was a good candidate for surgery.
鈥淭heir eyes are on the top part of their skulls, so when they are submerged in water, they can still see above the surface. This made it tricky to position him for surgery,鈥� Dr. Carter explained.
The team first needed to determine if Victor was a good candidate for surgery. After performing several tests, including an ocular ultrasound and an electroretinogram (ERG), they found that his retina was functional and attached. Confident that they could improve his vision, they moved forward with the procedure.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Hannah Gafen, 海角社区 Ophthalmology resident. She said, 鈥淲hile cataract surgery is typically straightforward in dogs, Victor鈥檚 case required us to adapt to the differences in his anatomy and response to medications. There were significant challenges we had to overcome.鈥�
The surgery involved removing the cataract through phacoemulsification, a process where the lens is emulsified and removed.
Dr. Queiroz-Williams, along with Dr. Nevarez ensured Victor鈥檚 eight-foot-long body remained stable, safely under anesthesia, and pain-free throughout the operation, which took nearly two hours.
鈥淎ll went very smoothly. I was so grateful for the collaborative efforts of the Audubon Zoo, 海角社区 Zoological Medicine, and Anesthesiology, our awesome O.R. team, and, of course, the 海角社区 Ophthalmology team,鈥� Dr. Gafen said.
Dr. Hugo Gonzalez, Zoological Medicine resident, views the surgical site.
Victor鈥檚 clinical team not only performed the surgery but also placed a temporary fluid port to administer post-op eye drops. After a two-week recovery at the zoo鈥檚 animal hospital, Victor triumphantly returned to his enclosure, just in time for Mardi Gras, with his vision restored.
The 海角社区 clinical team plans to publish their findings on the pioneering case.
"We are happy this surgery improves Victor's quality of life, helping him interact and experience his world in a more complete way,鈥� Dr. Gafen said.
Back in his habitat, Victor is once again snapping up his dinner, returning to his normal behaviors.
鈥淲e wanted Victor to go back to being Victor鈥攖hat makes us the happiest,鈥� Dr. Carter said.
Curious? Ask us your questions, and we will do our best to answer them! Email sarr1@lsu.edu.
Stay tuned for video where clinicians explain how they prepared for this groundbreaking procedure that has restored Victor鈥檚 vision.
Victor鈥檚 Origins
According to Dr. Robert MacLean at Audubon, Victor鈥檚 original hatch location is unknown. He came to Audubon Zoo in June 2019 from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They鈥檇 had him for about six years when they gave him to Audubon Zoo. 鈥淲ildlife and Fisheries contacted us to see if we would take him because of our expertise in leucistic alligator care. We were told he came from a wild nest but have no details where it was located. Historically, all of the white gators that have been found in Louisiana were found in the south Houma area, so it is very likely that is the same for this one,鈥� Dr. MacLean said.