Modern cataract surgery for vulnerable communities – Copenhagen Eye Institute brings ultrasound technology to Bolivia
Cataracts are the most common vision-impairing condition in the world. Surgical treatment has evolved greatly over the past decades, from a completely manual procedure with large incisions to an ultrasound-based technique where cataracts are removed with ultrasound through a 2.2 millimeter incision in the eye. This technique is not available in Bolivia outside of private centers, which means that patients from vulnerable communities do not have access to it.
We are working with Tomás Frias Medical University in Potosí, Bolivia, to implement a cataract surgery program using ultrasound technology. A portable ultrasound cataract machine will be taken into the field to perform surgeries and train a local ophthalmologist in the technique. The first campaign is scheduled for November 2022 in Tupiza, the city center in the remote areas of southwestern Bolivia. For the first time, thousands of patients will have access to state-of-the-art cataract surgery for better results and fewer complications – no matter where they live or how much money they have.