Working with veterinarians from the San Diego Zoo, an eye surgeon removed a cataract from the left eye of a three-year-old female gorilla named Leslie on December 10, zoo officials announced.

The surgeon who performed the procedure, Chris Heichel, said that while he had carried out thousands of eye surgeries on human patients, this was his first on a gorilla.

"Fortunately, the similarities between the anatomy of human and gorilla eyes are great enough to allow us to safely navigate the procedure without complication," he said in a statement issued by the zoo.

"The reminder of the eye appeared to be in excellent health, indicating exceptional vision potential for the rest of Leslie's life."

The procedure involved removing the cloudy lens from Leslie's eyes and inserting a new artificial lens that should provide gorilla with clear vision for the rest of her life.

Source: http://www.channelstv.com