After our correspondence I decided to take your advice and attempt this procedure myself. As you said, not all of it has to be trimmed at once. I watched videos and read related articles. Today I got up enough courage to take the first steps.
My only goal today was to open up the area on top of the eye to regain some vision
I followed all sterilization protocol for tools and surface. I retrieved my Midge in his aquarium water and added the specified amount of clove oil to sedate him. He was never totally motionless but I was afraid to give him more oil than recommended (he is one tuff cookie).
I had my husband dropping anesthesia water on his gill for oxygen and sedation while I began my trim. I was not prepared for the slickness and how easily the scissors slipped off. I was using suture removal scissors but maybe they aren't sharp enough or maybe too small to cut through that unexpectedly tuff tissue.
For my comfort, and his, I only cleared the tissue directly over the eye. I plan to give him a weeks rest and then work some more.
I helped him recover from anesthesia in a container of his tank water and then transferred him to his pretreated recovery tank with Epsom and aquarium salts.
He recovered from anesthesia quickly. I checked on him several times. I know he can definitely see now. He is hovering directly over food bits. Before it was kind of like Hide and Seek for him. What I think he is experiencing right now is good sight with tunnel vision. He needs to have more tissue removed from around the eye. We also noticed that we might be nipping a problem in the bud if we go ahead and trim some Wen off of the gills.
I will work on it a little at a time, giving him a week between each procedure. He is an extremely tame and patient guy but I don't want to stress him. Suppossedly, the Wen is compared to Fingernails or Hair. There are no nerve endings so hence no pain. The stress is being removed from the tank, sedated and then removed from water onto a sterile environment.
He recovered quickly and while I was sterile I worked on one of Bubbles' scales that was darkened around the edge. The scale popped out and I dabbed with hydrogen peroxide.
Attached is a picture of Midge before our first procedure and then one afterward. The last picture is of Bubby, Midge's sibling. Drastic difference in Wen and length. Same diet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
