PIONEERING surgery has helped a guide dog who was blind to see again.

Chris Dixon, of Veterinary Vision in Penrith, is believed to be one of only 16 vets worldwide who can carry out retinal reattachment surgery in dogs.

Eight-year-old German shepherd Oliver was presented to the opticians as he appeared to have lost sight in both eyes. Surgery was then performed by Mr Dixon and his team and the right retina was reattached.

“It is about the most complex of eye surgeries, the outer limit of what we can achieve.

“As eye operations go it is very time consuming, very technical - there’s a lot to it.

“Retina reattachment surgery is very complex even in humans.”

Mr Dixon continued: “Perhaps it would be quicker [performing the surgery on dogs compared to humans], because the anatomy is different. The procedure in humans is relatively un-complex.

“The canine eye is more difficult to manage. There is a high risk of bleeding in the eye. It is a lot larger than the human eye.”

He continued: “The success of a procedure can never be guaranteed, the success rate is about 80%.

“The main risks are that you end up with a haemorrhage in the eye. There is also the risk that you put the retina in the right position but the sight doesn’t come back.

“Thankfully that wasn’t the case with Oliver.”

Mr Dixon says the method is long in the making.

“We have been working on this technique for four/five years, every year we improve on it slightly.”

The piece of equipment used for this procedure costs more than £100,000.

“We have a vitreo-retinal machine which costs £130,000, we are the only vet in the UK with this type of machine. We probably have one of the largest ophthalmology sites in the UK too.”

The surgery - which was carried out on only one eye, Oliver’s right eye - successfully restored vision.

Oliver has now retired from service as a guide dog and his owner, Alan Roberts, must now wait for a replacement guide dog.

Alan, who is 77, says the dog will always have a special place in his heart.

“It is hard to put into words,” said Alan who lives in Atherton, near Wigan. “These dogs do such a wonderful job for you.

“I see him twice a week now. I am waiting for another dog now. I can’t wait for another dog. The best thing that ever happened to me was getting a guide dog.”

Alan has a fondness for the Lake District.

“My favourite thing is walking in the Borrowdale valley. It is hard to put into words what they [guide dogs] do for you. They make it so easy to go from A to B. I can go out on a 12 mile walk on my own and come back in one piece.

“The most marvellous thing I have ever experienced is using a dog to get around.”

Alan continued: “I have lost dogs before, they have retired. But you never forget the dogs.”

The 77-year-old explained what life would be like without a guide dog.

“Without a dog I manage. I know Atherton because I have been brought up here. It is difficult going to the shop, you bang into things. It is terrific to have a dog to take you around somewhere.”

Despite being fully blind by the age of 21, Alan ran his own haulage business, which he set up in 1976.

When the demand began to decline because of pit closures, he set up his own recruitment business - Atherton Recruitment Services - which operated from 1990 to 2011.

Oliver the guide dog is set for a check-up at Veterinary Vision in Penrith today, to see how the operation has affected him.

Alan Robert’s guide dogs are provided by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.