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International Programs

Sight Restoring Expeditions

For thirty-five years, SEE International has brought medical volunteers, medical supply donors, individuals, corporations, and foundations together for a single purpose: to restore sight worldwide to people blinded by cataracts and other treatable eye conditions.

The need for trained and experienced eye surgeons in developing countries is enormous. Yet becoming a traveling SEE ophthalmologist requires more than surgical training. Our affiliates are philanthropic leaders who have a drive to create change and accomplish great things through their own efforts. SEE International supports their leadership through expedition planning, provisioning medical supplies, and maintaining the network of host and traveling ophthalmologists.

At the invitation of local host ophthalmologists and health authorities in developing countries, SEE International works with ophthalmic surgeons who become “affiliates” of our organization to provide administrative support, donated supplies and possibly loaned equipment for these expeditions.

The patients are underserved people in the community who would not otherwise have access to eye care. Individuals are pre-screened (medically and socio-economically) by the in-country host ophthalmologists. The highest priority of surgical cases is given to bilaterally blind patients who have a surgically correctable condition, e.g., bilateral cataracts. Following the visiting team’s departure, postoperative follow-up care is provided by the host ophthalmologist.

Find out how you can get involved in participating on or supporting an expedition.

Immediate Action Partnered with Sustainability

SEE International teams take immediate action to restore sight to some of the millions of people blinded by cataracts and other treatable eye conditions. Visiting teams provide donated supplies and the extra manpower needed to assist host ophthalmologists in developing countries relieve the burden of blindness in their area.

Expeditions also involve educational exchange where ophthalmologists can share the latest technologies with one another, leaving a legacy long after the expedition is over.

Teams also place equipment on permanent loan which is donated to SEE by corporations, foundations and individuals. Clinic sites which SEE visits on a regular basis are the main recipients of equipment which can be used by in-country affiliate ophthalmologists on free patients when SEE teams have gone, as well as by future visiting teams.

SEE welcomes donations of ophthalmic equipment. Contact our Development Department to learn more about donations of equipment.

Commitment to Training and Encouraging Involvement

Each year SEE International has a number of opportunities to train ophthalmologists in the Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) technique. Though the common method in the US is Phacomulsification, due to technological and surgical restraints M/SICS is used in the field. At our international headquarters, SEE holds an annual M/SICS Course in which guest faculty teach affiliate ophthalmologists M/SICS in a day long lecture and wet lab. Affiliates are then asked to utilize this technique in the next twelve months at a site in which the host is trained in MSICS. There are also opportunities at various clinic sites throughout the year for affiliates to learn MSICS under the supervision of a host ophthalmologist who is an expert in MSICS.

SEE International is also committed to encouraging involvement of ophthalmologists just beginning their career to make humanitarian ophthalmology an ongoing part of their practice. SEE began working with George Washington University’s Department of Ophthalmology to send residents in their last year of training with supervising teaching ophthalmologists on SEE expeditions. SEE is also open to partnering with other residency programs using this model.