Our skilled vet team recently performed a complex surgical procedure on a sea turtle patient — a coeliotomy (a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity)
This turtle was a part of the cluster of stranded sea turtles that were rescued in the last year and was stabilised at Auckland Zoo before being transferred to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s on 2nd December 2024 for rehabilitation. In January, she developed foul-smelling breath, and although initial X-rays and blood tests were inconclusive, a CT scan in March revealed something serious: a gastric intussusception - this is where the small intestine had slid into the stomach, risking a dangerous blockage of the bowel.
Given the severity of the condition and the turtle’s declining health, surgery was the only option. With the turtle anaesthetised, it was placed securely on its side for the vet team to carefully access the abdominal cavity through an incision near the hind leg.