In June 2023, Eversight, along with ACE Global, supported a medical mission to Honduras led by corneal surgeon Miles Greenwald, MD, of University of Kansas Medical Center in Prairie Village, Kan.
Eversight provided Dr. Greenwald with donor corneas, four of which were for penetrating keratoplasty and two for descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). With support from local Honduran ophthalmologists, all six cornea transplants were successful.
“The patients are so grateful for the opportunity to regain their vision, and all are doing well post-operatively,” Dr. Greenwald said.
ACE Global has a post-residency fellowship program to help train Honduran ophthalmologists in cornea, glaucoma and advanced cataract surgery. While Dr. Greenwald was working with the organization to train and educate Honduran fellows, they were able to perform these sight-restoring transplants.
“There’s a huge amount of cornea blindness in Honduras, but with no eye bank in the country, they’re dependent on cornea tissue from the United States,” he said. “Knowing the need and desiring to help the fellows improve the keratoplasty techniques, I reached out to Eversight.”
When possible, Eversight provides tissues to surgeons for medical missions to further its mission of restoring sight and preventing blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research. With the help of surgeons like Dr. Greenwald who are willing to give their time and expertise to provide the gift of sight, Eversight strives toward making vision a reality for more people worldwide.
“It was so rewarding to get to work with these surgeons and help them improve and refine their surgical skills,” Dr. Greenwald said. “I am so appreciative to Eversight for making vision a reality for these patients in Honduras.”
You, too, can help Eversight make vision a reality through medical missions by contributing financially to support our work. Give today!
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