News and Events

"SEE Restores Sight In Bangladesh"

With developmental cataracts in both eyes, a young woman from Bangladesh (pictured to the right) wasdivorced at a young age due to blindness.  She traveled 124 miles to reach the SEE International clinic held in the capital city of Dhaka, just days after cyclone Sidr hit.  Twenty-four hours after her cataract surgery, in which an implanted intraocular lens replaced the clouded lens, she could see perfectly.  Her hopes for the future include obtaining a job and remarrying now that her sight has been restored.

In total, 48 patients received free cataract surgeries thanks to the efforts of Munril Huq, M.D., and Sven Redin, M.D. SEE volunteer eye surgeons.  Although the cyclone disrupted operations at the offices of host eye surgeon Dr. Huq, he was determined to hold the clinic.  Amidst the devastation and loss of electricity, Dr. Huq screened 300 potential patients and worked with SEE International on the logistics of transporting donated medical supplies, including suture and intraocular lenses, to Bangladesh.  Visiting SEE affiliate Dr. Redin still managed to fly into Dhaka from Sweden. 

“There will be serious long-term effects from the cyclone,” described Dr. Huq.  “More people will not be able to receive any health services at all.  We expect more patients in 2008 and more poor patients from the affected areas.”  SEE International plans to hold three expeditions to Bangladesh this year.

“Angels in Moquegua, Peru”

As a first time volunteer for a SEE expedition, I was completely unprepared for the overwhelming need for sight-restoring surgery. Each morning over 500 people lined up at the clinic in the small village of Moquegua, Peru. Many individuals, including children, walked for miles through the dry, tough terrain just to get in line with no guarantee that they would be helped that day.  I was so impressed with the patience and tolerance each person possessed. The day was hot, and the line must have seemed endless for many.

SEE’s two visiting volunteer ophthalmologists, Dr. Shulman and Dr. Reshef, and their team worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk. As a new volunteer, I wasn’t sure what to expect or how I could help, but within minutes our small group of volunteers each found a niche; we jumped right in and felt a part of the team immediately. The doctors were very welcoming, and even took the time to explain and show us what the various stages of the surgeries looked like. It was amazing to watch them work manually on cataracts that seemed to be as thick as a marble, with both precision and speed in conditions that would seem chaotic and marginal in the United States.

The local doctor, Hugo Chise Abaza, M.D. and his team of nurses worked hard with the visiting team. The language barrier was challenging at times, and lucky for us, the sponsor of this clinic and a volunteer on our team from Santa Barbara, Noel Aguilar, Ph.D., spoke fluent English and Spanish.  He was able to aid in the operating room by translating between the local and visiting surgical teams.  The most rewarding experience was the next day when the patients came back, and their bandages were removed. It was the first time in many, many years that these individuals could see. One gentleman was totally blind from cataracts in both eyes for well over twenty years. When the bandage came off, he looked right at me and one of the other volunteers, and said in Spanish… “I didn’t know there were so many pretty women in the room.” He looked around and saw his children for what must have seemed like the first time. He threw up his cane, and we all started to dance. The look on that man’s face will be forever embedded in my mind. 

Being a volunteer for SEE opened my eyes to a harsh reality. When one member is blind, the entire family suffers. It is not only devastating for the blind individual, and debilitating for the family, but it can impact a small community.  Many times, a child gives up much of his or her life to guide and attend to this family member. This simple operation is truly a miracle. The SEE ophthalmologists and their team members are angels on this earth.  I swear we saw their wings as we left the operating room that day.

This expedition was completed in collaboration with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) International, New York branch. We would like to recognize Dr. Jorge Won and the other members of VOSH who helped make this expedition a success.

“A Rare Expedition: Diabetic Retinopathy”

SEE’s primary instrument for fighting blindness all over the world is the cataract surgery. While the cataract surgery has proved itself relatively easy and time-efficient, SEE’s expeditions occasionally focus on other valuable procedures that also cure blindness. One such expedition occurred in February 2007 when SEE affiliate Jonathan D. Walker, M.D. joined host ophthalmologist Sandeep Nakate M. D. in Fiji to perform retinopathy surgeries for the benefit of diabetic individuals. Retinopathy surgeries are necessary when the diabetic condition causes excess blood glucose in these patients, which destroys blood vessels at the back of the eye. The retina is then unable to maintain proper nutrient levels and as a result vision cannot be sustained. At the Labasa Hospital in Fiji, Dr. Walker was able to help Dr. Nakate screen 200 patients and perform 5-10 retinopathy surgeries per day that cured patients with progressed retinopathy. In Dr. Walker’s words the expedition was “very successful, not only because we saw a lot of patients when we were there, but also because we have hopefully set up a system that will go a long way towards preventing blindness over the long term.”