Eye Team Visits RMI To Conduct Vision Saving Surgeries MAJURO, Marshall Islands (Marianas Variety, Aug. 5, 2013) – Over 200 people in the Marshall Islands who were blind in one or both eyes can now see as a result of a visiting American eye team that wrapped up two weeks in Majuro over the weekend. The hundreds of blind people who crowded into the Majuro Hospital outpatient clinic over the past two weeks have kept the Canvasback Missions ophthalmology team busy from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The 14-member team is led by Jacque Spence, a co-founder of the California-based Canvasback, and Dr. Jeffrey Ing. The combination of over 200 cataract and retinal surgeries, donated supplies, equipment and medical personnel is valued at about $500,000, said Spence. Earlier last week, the team completed the first corneal transplants to happen in Majuro in 40 years. A challenge for the eye doctors and nurses is that most of the patients have been affected by cataracts for many years, making them late stage and more difficult to treat. Spence said doctors rarely see eye problems at this advanced stage in the United States. "In the U.S., people say ‘my vision is a bit blurry,’ and schedule an appointment for surgery in six months," said Spence, who organizes multiple specialist team visits to the Marshall Islands each year. "Here, the cataracts are rock hard (because they’ve gone untreated for many years)." Spence has received donations from many U.S. pharmaceutical companies, including Alcon, SEE International, Advanced Medical Optics and Bausch & Lomb. Matson Navigation donated a container to ship all the supplies. When Majuro Hospital’s eye doctor Jose Tana identified corneal cases for the team, Ing brought live cornea tissue and performed two successful corneal transplants on Mentine Kabo and Kamjen Kumtak. "When five-year-old Fred Jetton was diagnosed with two rapidly maturing cataracts that would soon leave him totally blind, the team took him right into surgery," said Spence. "When they realized that they didn’t have a lens that would fit the little boy, the team arranged with Alcon to immediately ship the right lenses to Majuro." The surgeries affect many more than the patient. "When you give a blind person sight, you are not only giving them a new life, you are also freeing the caregivers and giving them a new life," Spence said. "Canvasback team members are dedicated to helping as many people as possible," said Spence. "The cataract surgeries have been challenging because people have suffered for years and their cataracts are hard as rock and take longer to remove." She explained that patients like Rosalie Benjamin were totally blind and had to be led into the clinic by a family member. The day after her surgery, she walked in all by herself. Spence praised Majuro Hospital clinic and operating room staff for their support and involvement in the mission. Canvasback is bringing an ear, nose and throat specialist team to Majuro in late August.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:46:59 +0000
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