10/19/2026
During a summer internship in 1988 down under in Australia, had the opportunity to sit in on/participate with the gastrotomy of a porpoise at the Sea World in Brisbane, Australia. This porpoise had swallowed over time, enough rock to fill a 5 gallon bucket.
A surgeon from the San Diego Zoo was flown in to perform the first surgery of this kind. In the first pic, you can see a catheter inserted into the tail vein for the “inducing agent”. At the time, it was an experimental agent known as “the milk”. Two to three years later it became known as “Propofol”. The mainstay of surgical inducing agents today. We use the same agent exclusively in our practice today for 3+ decades. It was actually developed by a veterinarian!! You can also see the placement of the breathing tube for surgery.
Pics also show removal of the rocks and if you look closely, you will see a small “star “ on the inner lining of the stomach….that is an ulcer.
