Santiago, DR, 5/4/2019-5/11/2019: The IOPEN group of 7 including 3 cataract surgeons, 2 retina surgeons and an pediatric ophthalmologist/strabismus surgeon performed over 100 cases including complex cataract surgeries, 9 strabismus cases, and over 29 vitreoretinal surgeries. The group worked again at the ILAC campus. Click here for photos
Dominican Republic, 5/5/2018-5/10/2018: The small group of 3 surgeons performed over 50 cataract, strabismus, and retina surgeries in a pilot trip working on the ILAC medical mission campus at Santiago. ILAC is a Jesuit medical mission organization with over 100 local social workers working with rural farming communities to provide basic healthcare for those who otherwise would have minimal access to medical care. The same population also have no access to surgical eye care and patients with reversible or preventable causes of blindness such as cataract, strabismus or diabetic vitreous hemorrhage or retinal detachments were screened and brought to the main ILAC campus for further surgical care. All the patients seen by the IOPEN team have pre-identified surgical eye pathology. An exam was performed to confirm the pathology and for surgical planning. As a primarily surgical group, rarely are general screening performed. There are a few patients referred for second opinion from local ophthalmologists, especially for complex strabismus and vitreoretinal pathology. Click here for pictures