Spinal neurosurgeon James Killeffer, MD, worked with a veterinary neurologist to remove a tumor from one of Zoo Knoxville’s (Tenn.) chimpanzees, WBIR reported Sept. 26.
Dr. Killeffer and Dr. Talisha Moore performed the spinal surgery on the 34-year-old chimpanzee on Sept. 19 at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville. The procedure is reportedly the first documented case of its kind completed on a chimpanzee.
“Not only have I not heard of this procedure being done in a chimpanzee, I couldn’t find any record of it in the literature,” Dr. Killeffer said in the report. “We were able to remove the vast majority of the tumor, relieve pressure on the spinal cord, and give him a path to healing.”
Dr. Killeffer has practiced neurosurgery in Knoxville since 1997, according to Knoxville Spine’s website. His expertise includes minimally invasive techniques, cervical spine care, endoscopic pituitary surgery, trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm.
The chimpanzee is recovering in a quarantine space and is showing signs of better movement, the report said.
