From ACVS.org:

Two ACVS board certified veterinary surgeons at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University made history when they successfully completed the world's first total hip replacement on an alpaca earlier this month.

No one could predict the fate of the 3-year-old Suri alpaca named Shiloh when she arrived at the teaching hospital in Manhattan, Kan., on Feb. 12. However, less than two weeks after her ground-breaking surgery, the alpaca would be on her way home.

Dr. James Roush, professor and head of small animal surgery, performed the operation and was assisted by Dr. David Anderson, professor and head of agricultural practices. 

"My expertise is in the orthopedic procedure while Dr. Anderson's expertise is with the species," Roush said. "We pooled our experience in the surgery room, and this is the result."

Radiographs taken upon Shiloh's hospital admittance revealed that she suffered from coxofemoral luxation, a dislocated hip. Roush and Anderson agreed that she was a good candidate for surgery because her condition had not reached an advanced stage of degeneration.

"When the tissue around the hip breaks down, it is no longer able to hold the joint in place," Anderson said. "Fortunately, Shiloh's owner took quick action when she experienced problems and accepted that this was her only option."

Shiloh's owner, Joyce Johnson, noticed Shiloh standing awkwardly near their barn in Defiance, Mo., 15 miles west of St. Louis. The next day when weighing Shiloh's baby (called a cria) his weight gain had stalled. Knowing that a nursing cria's health is directly tied to its mother, Johnson knew Shiloh's problem was serious.

"I immediately took her to our veterinarian and they took radiographs," Johnson said. "When we discovered the severity of her condition, I knew that Dr. Anderson was at K-State and that's where we were going."

Drs. Anderson and Roush are ACVS Diplomates. The term "ACVS Diplomate" refers to a veterinarian who has been board certified (received a diploma) in veterinary surgery. Only veterinarians who have successfully completed the certification requirements of the ACVS are Diplomates (pronounced "dip-low-mate") of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and have earned the right to be called specialists in veterinary surgery.

Roush, who performs about 20 hip replacements on dogs each year, compared the size of an alpaca to a large breed dog. He noted that while the implant used would be the same, the procedure would require significant modifications. The catch, he said, was to select the correct size of implant and adjust its placement to accommodate the alpaca's curved femur.

Roush said Shiloh's case involved a list of unknowns because no veterinary medical literature existed about this procedure on an alpaca. Further complicating the case was the fact that Shiloh was three months pregnant.

"We constantly monitored blood flow to the uterus during surgery to minimize risk to the baby," Anderson said.

The 160-pound alpaca was wheeled into a surgical suite with a team of 10 medical specialists and professionals. At 8:50 a.m. Feb. 14, Roush started the nearly two-hour procedure. It went flawlessly but some very real post-operative challenges awaited the animal.

Johnson had returned to her Missouri farm to continue caring for her 50-plus alpaca herd where she received multiple calls from Anderson informing her of Shiloh's progress. "I was as happy as I could be when Dr. Anderson called and said the surgery went as well as it could," Johnson said. "I wanted to give Shiloh the chance to have a quality, pain-free life. These guys (alpacas) are all a part of my family, and I felt like I owed it to her to try."

Highly social animals, Johnson thought it would reduce Shiloh's stress to have companions with her at the hospital. So when Shiloh returned to her stall to recover from surgery, she was welcomed by her 4-month-old cria and an alpaca companion.

The surgeons expected Shiloh to make her first attempt at standing at about 3 p.m., which was precisely when she made her attempt. With her medical team intently overseeing her movements, Shiloh stood and bore weight on her leg. Moments later, her cria began to nurse.

"We were very pleased but remained cautiously optimistic because she still was at risk of infection and the newly implanted hip could luxate," Roush said.

On Feb. 20, six days post-op, a second set of radiographs was taken to assure that the hip remained in place. "The implants remained in identical position and showed no loosening," Roush said. "In addition, Shiloh's baby is doing well."

Anderson said the alpaca will return to her Missouri farm under the care of her local veterinarian. The surgeons will continue to monitor her case and evaluate her progress by communicating with Shiloh's owner and her veterinarian. Veterinary specialists manage postoperative care and are obligated to return the client to the primary care veterinarian for that animal's general veterinary care.

Alpacas are members of the camelid family that originated in South America thousands of years ago and arrived on farms in this country in the 1980s. Today there are approximately 6,000 alpaca farms across the United States. The animals' dense, soft fiber is used for clothing.

For more information about the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University, please visit http://www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/VMTH/ For more information about alpacas, please visit http://www.alpacainfo.com.

Reprinted from ACVS.org February 27, 2007