Episode: "False Eye"
Location: Oregon Coast Aquarium
Veterinarian: Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan

A rockfish, a freshwater species that can live up to 50 years, punctures its eye in a collision with an aquarium wall at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The swollen eye becomes infected, threatening to cause the fish permanent blindness.

Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan, an aquatic veterinary specialist, sedates the fish using a powdered anesthetic that is mixed into the fish tank.

He then drips a colored dye onto the eyeball, which runs into the abrasions caused from the impact. The dye lights up under ultraviolet light, clearly showing the extent of the damage.

Dr. Miller-Morgan is confident the eye will heal over time, but treats the wound with antibiotics to prevent infection. He also decides to glue a clear contact lens onto the eyeball to prevent bacteria from entering the wound.

Several weeks later, the fish is anesthetized again to check that the wound is healing. The dye shows that the wound has almost completely healed.

Dr. Miller-Morgan then applies antibiotics and a superglue seal to keep out infection.

Finally, the fish is placed in oxygen-enriched water and gently pushed along to increase water flow over its gills and speed up the revival process.

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