Operation Restore Sight and Dooley Intermed International, in conjunction with Reiyukai Eiko Matsunaga Eye Hospital (REMEH), collaborated on a medical project in December 2023, bringing eye care experts to Nepal for patient evaluations, surgeries, education, knowledge exchange, and an international ophthalmology conference.
This ambitious project included a team of expert ophthalmologists, lead by Ronald Gentile, MD, from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Christopher Teng, MD, MBA from Yale, Sanjay Kedhar, MD, from UC Irvine and Omar Ozgur, MD, from Scripps Clinic.
“It was the teams’ first time back in Nepal since 2018, and we were able to accomplish a great deal, including evaluating many patients, and teaching complex surgeries such as corneal transplant, glaucoma drainage implants, vitrectomy and scleral buckles,” said Scott Hamilton, President of Dooley Intermed International and co-leader of Operation Restore Sight.
The team participated in many “firsts” at the Eye Hospital, including the first corneal transplant, first glaucoma drainage implant, and first complex vitrectomy with scleral buckle, in addition to performing many other surgeries such as dacryocystorhinostomy, blepharoplasty and pupilloplasty.
In addition to their work at the main REMEH site in Banepa, the team traveled to Dhalkebar, in the Terai Jungle region near the border of India, to provide eye care services at the newly established Dooley Intermed-sponsored Eye Hospital. The outreach effort extended the impact of the mission, reaching patients in vastly underserved areas and enhancing eye care accessibility.
“The collaboration between Operation Restore Sight, Dooley Intermed International, and REMEH underscores the importance of global partnerships in advancing eye care and promoting knowledge exchange. The success of this project contributes to ongoing efforts to treat preventable blindness and improve the overall eye health landscape in Nepal,” said Dr. Teng, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Yale.
During the final two days in Nepal, Reiyukai Eiko Masunaga Eye Hospital, Operation Restore Sight, and Dooley Intermed International co-sponsored an International Ophthalmology Conference, attended by over 150 ophthalmologists from Nepal and other countries as far as Cambodia and Sudan. The two-day event featured expert case presentations and lectures, including about Seasonal Hyper Acute Pan Uveitis (SHAPU) a rapidly progressing inflammatory condition primarily affecting children thought to be transmitted by moths.
“Returning to Nepal after 5 years was a heartfelt reunion with a community of eye care professionals we care deeply about,” said Dr. Teng. “The project transcended borders and medical complexities, as we worked together to achieve incredible outcomes. Together, we restored vision and also ignited a flame of knowledge exchange and collaboration that will continue to illuminate the path to a brighter future for eye health in this region.”
Links to short videos from the project