It was a Saturday in March, usually a quieter day at the Sanctuary. However, early  in the morning, chimpanzees more attuned to the routine sensed that the day would be different. Chimpanzee Pinho (Felipinho) would be operated. A multidisciplinary team of human and veterinary doctors was prepared for this mission. Pinho was already isolated in his dorm room. Nega, his partner, was in another. Handler Rangério dos Santos was already disguised with the anesthetic gun in the hallway and veterinarian Dr. Camila Gentile played with the chimpanzee to distract him. However, they knew that the routine was different and that something was going to happen. The chimpanzees began to vocalize and the whole town of chimpanzees began to boil, one communicating with others.

An anesthetic dart stuck in the leg and the anesthesia took effect. When she saw Pinho out on the table, Nega thought he was dead and cried even more, prompting the whole community. We tried to make her calm. It had been over a year that no one was anesthetized at the Sanctuary for any medical procedure.

In the operating room, all awaiting the arrival of the patient, who weighs more than 90 kg and is in optimal health state, according to blood tests done before. But he had a tumor on a finger of his left hand. In less than a year, it had grown rapidly. It seemed benign, but scrapped the finger he could no longer move.

Dr. Antônio Carlos da Costa, an expert surgeon in Hand Surgery and Microsurgery at Santa Casa and Syrian-Lebanese Hospitals, in São Paulo, felt it had not committed the bone, but only radiology would give the verdict. The veterinarian, Dr. Márcio José Monteiro Corrêa , from Jockey Club of Sorocaba, confirmed the suspicion, with their radiology  equipment, that the bone was not compromised. But the best was to extirpate it,  since the finger was completely unusable.

Dr. Giancarlo Cavalli Polesello , orthopedist  of Santa Casa the Syrian-Lebanese Hospitals (my son-in-law ) and surgeon of the Sanctuary since its inception,  has agreed to the amputation. Both surgeons did the job with unrivaled expertise, which would be reflected in the amazing and perfect recovery that Pinho had.

The great drama of great apes surgery is the post operative. Therefore, when surgery is very extensive, it is impractical. The primate will take out its own dressing, the wound will not heal and it will be very difficult to keep him alive. However,  Pinho was an example . He kept the bandage on for nearly 48 hours and when he took it out,  it was carefully and did not move in the internal or external points .

Pinho is a survivor. He is about 28 years old and always lived in circuses, in terrible conditions. He has a relationship with Nega, 38 years old, and made her pregnant several times. Two of their sons , whom they do not know , are with us : Martin and Carioca . Pinho was very mistreated in the circus and became a rebel. To control him, people used to beat him to faint. When he arrived at the sanctuary , he hated humans , destroyed doors and beat everything that was a symbol of human domain . Today he is a different being . He learned to distinguish that not all humans are like the one in the circus and began to have affection for us and some handlers. Even with Dr. Camila , who contributed to the anesthesia , he did not hold a grudge. He knows it was for his sake.  Now he shows us a hand with the finger amputated and thanks. He also knows that the tumor could kill him and we had taken it out from his body with precision and mastery.

Seven days after surgery, without infection in the wound, he joined Nega, who guarded him from the room next door. They embraced, exchanged “grooming ” and were closer than ever . Every time you took him something, he shows us his hand and, with a gesture , thanks us.

A multidisciplinary team of two surgeons and three human veterinarians demonstrated that it is possible to join the efforts, knowledge and surgical skill to make a chimpanzee free from an unexpected tumor, and recover quickly and without sequelae .

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President , GAP Project International

Images of the preparation for the surgery , the hand of Pinho ( before and after ) and the return  to the enclosure:

1 – Dr. Ynterian Carolina with her ​​husband , Dr. Giancarlo Polesello , and Dr. Antonio da Costa ; 2 – Dr. Giancarlo Dr. Antonio and Dr. Márcio Corrêa (X – ray ) 3 – Rangério , Dr. Giancarlo, Dr. Anthony and Dr. Juliana Kihara ( which is also a Sanctuary veterinarian ) 4 – finger with tumor ; 5 – Suture after removal of the finger ; 6 – Rangério , Dr. Anthony and his wife, Dr. Anael Navy (ENT specialist ) , Dr. Giancarlo and Dr. Camila ; 7 – Hand of Pinho with final healing ; 8 – Pinho being taken to the recovery room ; 9 – Dr. Camila watching Pinho on the way to his room and 10 – Nega and Pinho, already recovered .