Fish surgery successful

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue's veterinary school often performs operations on animals, but one surgery went particularly swimmingly.

Veterinarians removed stitches from Karla the koi fish. This summer her owner Dick Thomas noticed her stomach bugled at an odd angle. He took her in for an exam.

"We took some X-rays and did an ultrasound. She had a mass in her abdomen," said Veterinarian Dr. Lori Corriveau.

Dr. Lori Corriveau and her team removed the tumor during a two hour initial surgery.

"Anesthesia is always the tricky part," said Corriveau.

Vets dissolved the anesthesia in water so Karla was comfortable. A tube of water was also inserted into her mouth so her gills were kept wet and she could breathe. Her owner said even though he owns 25 koi like Karla, he's particularly fond of her.

"You don't attached to a fish like you do a dog or cat because you don't have the intimate contact with them, but you still do. All the fish have personality," said Dick Thomas.

The almost seven pound Karla returned to her Lafayette pond with a scar marking her belly. Her owner said he hopes she won't be a fish out of water again and end up back on the operating table.

"I'm hoping the prognosis is good, but Dr. Corriveau said the tumor she took out looked like cancer," he said.

Koi can live up to 25 years. Karla is young at three and half and Purdue's veterinarians hope she'll now have a chance to swim for many more.

Karla's surgery cost $600.  Normally an the operation would be $1,200, but her owner got a discount because of the rare educational opportunity Karla offered to students.