ABSTRACT: Acromegaly is a condition caused by a pituitary somatotroph adenoma which causes an over production of somatotropin (hypersomatotropism). This can cause the patient to become insulin resistant and therefore suffer from uncontrolled diabetes. The hypophysectomy is a ground breaking surgery. It can effectively treat feline acromegaly caused by a pituitary somatotroph adenoma by removing the pituitary using a transoral transphenoidal approach (through the roof of the mouth).

Author

Georgina Blackman BSc (Hons) RVN ISFM Cert&DipFN

Georgina graduated from Hartpury College with a degree in Animal Science in 2005 and then qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in 2010. She is a Medicine Nurse at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals at the Royal Veterinary College where she enjoys the challenges of referral nursing in the Internal Medicine department. She has a keen interest in feline nursing and helped the hospital achieve ISFM gold standard feline friendly practice status, and recently gained the ISFM Diploma in Feline Nursing. She is passionate about educating nurses on feline friendly nursing and reducing stress in the feline patient. She juggles her love for her nursing career with being a mother to her 3 young children, Tilly Teddy and Max.

Email: gblackman@rvc.ac.uk

Keywords: Hypophysectomy; acromegaly; hypersomatotropism

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 33 (07) • July 2018 pp192-196

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