A Billion Opportunities: Addressing the Global Crisis in Eye Care and the Role of Surgical Missions
More than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from vision impairment, with a notable portion facing preventable blindness, creating an urgent need for increased access to eye care and a renewed focus on enduring solutions.
The scale of the global eye care crisis is staggering.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2 billion of the world’s 8 billion people experience significant vision impairment or blindness, yet a full billion of those cases are treatable. An estimated 800 million individuals lack access to spectacles to correct refractive errors, including nearly 11 million in the United States. Fortunately, numerous initiatives exist to recycle used eyeglasses, supported by optical chains and organizations like Lions Clubs International, and groups like New eyes.
For surgeons seeking to contribute their skills, a variety of organizations facilitate international and domestic surgical missions. Mission Cataract USA, for example, has been providing free cataract surgery to underserved populations sence 1985, building on a similar free surgery program for underserved populations in their region 35 years ago, and since 2014, they have collaborated with Operation Sight, providing no-charge cataract, glaucoma, and corneal surgery, alongside procedures like collagen cross-linking, twice yearly and on an as-needed basis for urgent cases. mission Cataract USA also offers valuable opportunities for domestic outreach.
For those interested in international missions, organizations like the Global Sight Alliance mission finder, Medical Missions Foundation, SEE International, Cure Blindness Project, and Project Orbis, alongside the american Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, serve as excellent starting points for research.
Reflecting on decades of experience, one surgeon shared that early mission work, while impactful, lacked a crucial element: collaboration with the local ophthalmology community. A 1978 trip to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with a senior partner and other ophthalmologists, while providing much-needed cataract surgery, highlighted the importance of sustainable, integrated care.
This realization led to a shift in approach. In 1980, the surgeon joined the University of Minnesota, directing the cornea service and spearheading research on corneal preservation. This work culminated in the development of Optisol-GS,extending corneal preservation to 14 days and facilitating global corneal sharing. This innovation prompted a collaboration with the newly formed Project Orbis, which prioritized surgical skills transfer to local surgeons and support staff alongside direct patient care.
“We established a sustainable source of quality corneal tissue for Project Orbis surgery while sharing knowledge and performing surgery with Sri Lankan eye surgeons,” the surgeon recalled of a 1982 trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka. “Side by side…we would select appropriate patients and then plan and perform surgery.” Since 1982,Project Orbis has trained over 325,000 eye care professionals in 82 countries,a testament to its enduring impact.
Subsequent mission work was guided by the principle of combining patient care with educational initiatives. The surgeon emphasized the value of sustained engagement, citing a five-year partnership between Minnesota Eye Consultants (MEC), Vance Thompson Vision (VTV), and local surgeons in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This collaboration has not only provided advanced surgical training to residents and fellows at Hospital General San Felipe but has also considerably improved the facility’s equipment and infrastructure.
The key, according to the surgeon, is thoughtful introspection. “Do you wont to provide patient service, education, or both? Do you want to travel the world or commit to a single location?” he posed, encouraging surgeons to explore the various programs and connect with experienced participants.
The experience of serving as a missionary eye surgeon can be profoundly rewarding, fostering personal growth and a broadened viewpoint. “Sharing knowledge and surgical skills with eye surgeons around the world has been memorable and extremely rewarding,” the surgeon stated. “The paradox of giving remains a powerful truth: The more we give, the more we receive.”
For more information:
Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, can be reached at [email protected].
Sources/Disclosures
Source: Expert Submission
Disclosures: Lindstrom reports being past president of ASCRS, past chair of the ASCRS Foundation, founder and surgeon emeritus of Minnesota Eye Consultants and unifeye Vision Partners, and attending surgeon of Project Orbis.
