EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
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3 Sen. Paul's first international ophthalmic outreach trip a success S enator and ophthalmol- ogist Rand Paul, MD (R- KY), helped to restore sight to those in need when he joined a team of surgeons from the John A. Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City for a charity cataract surgery trip to Salamá, Guatemala, on August 17–23. The Moran team, led by ASCRS past president Alan Crandall, MD, partnered with the ASCRS Foun- dation and the Hope Alliance, a non-profit organization from Park City, Utah, to restore vision to a vastly underserved population in this Central American country. Situated in the highlands northeast of Guatemala City, Salamá is the center of Baja Verapaz, a remote, rural region where there are only 2 ophthalmologists for roughly 800,000 people. Together, the team operated at the Lions Club Eye Hospital Salamá surgery center and eye clinic, where they performed more than 230 sur- geries and 400 eye exams in 5 days. Additionally, the Hope Alliance distributed more than 1,000 pairs of glasses to local residents in need. Sen. Paul operated alongside Dr. Crandall and fellow Moran surgeons Jeff Pettey, MD, and Roger Furlong, MD, as well as former Moran resident Susan MacDonald, MD, and David Chang, MD, chair of the ASCRS Foundation's Interna- tional Committee. A support staff of more than 60 individuals made the long trip to Salamá, including nurses, technicians, translators, and coordinators, as well as representa- tives from the mainstream media and a security detail for Sen. Paul. A practicing ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Ky. until he joined the Senate in 2011, Sen. Paul performed many charitable surgeries in his home state during his time as a physician. Some of the patients he operated on had traveled to the U.S. from Guatemala and other Latin American countries, motivating Sen. Paul to take part in an outreach effort there. Giving the gift of sight In 2 days the team transformed the small, 675-square-foot hospital in Salamá into a state-of-the-art operating facility, complete with 2 phacoemulsification machines and a photocoagulation laser. Each day, a long line of patients wrapped around the tiny building, waiting for their turn to be examined. Many arrived by oxen-pulled carts. Some who could not walk were carried into the hospital by family mem- bers. Each morning, the physicians would remove bandages from the previous day's patients. Over- whelmed with gratitude for their renewed vision, patients cried and hugged physicians and staff. Most of the surgeries involved cataract removal, but the physicians also treated pterygium and diabet- ic retinopathy. Due to the lack of available eyecare in Salamá, many cases were advanced and complex. Despite the challenges, Sen. Paul fell into an operating routine, joking that the other surgeons gave him the simplest cases to ease him back into surgery. Sen. Rand Paul joins cataract surgeons for outreach mission to Guatemala by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION FOR CENTURION® VISION SYSTEM CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by, or on the order of, a physician. As part of a properly maintained surgical environment, it is recommended that a backup IOL Injector be made available in the event the AutoSert® IOL Injector Handpiece does not perform as expected. INDICATION: The CENTURION® Vision System is indicated for emulsification, separation, irrigation, and aspiration of cataracts, residual cortical material and lens epithelial cells, vitreous aspiration and cutting associated with anterior vitrectomy, bipolar coagulation, and intraocular lens injection. The AutoSert® IOL Injector Handpiece is intended to deliver qualified AcrySof® intraocular lenses into the eye following cataract removal. The AutoSert® IOL Injector Handpiece achieves the functionality of injection of intraocular lenses. The AutoSert® IOL Injector Handpiece is indicated for use with the AcrySof® lenses SN6OWF, SN6AD1, SN6AT3 through SN6AT9, as well as approved AcrySof® lenses that are specifically indicated for use with this inserter, as indicated in the approved labeling of those lenses. WARNINGS: Appropriate use of CENTURION® Vision System parameters and accessories is important for successful procedures. Use of low vacuum limits, low flow rates, low bottle heights, high power settings, extended power usage, power usage during occlusion conditions (beeping tones), failure to sufficiently aspirate viscoelastic prior to using power, excessively tight incisions, and combinations of the above actions may result in significant temperature increases at incision site and inside the eye, and lead to severe thermal eye tissue damage. Good clinical practice dictates the testing for adequate irrigation and aspiration flow prior to entering the eye. Ensure that tubings are not occluded or pinched during any phase of operation. The consumables used in conjunction with ALCON® instrument products constitute a complete surgical system. Use of consumables and handpieces other than those manufactured by Alcon may affect system performance and create potential hazards. AEs/COMPLICATIONS: Inadvertent actuation of Prime or Tune while a handpiece is in the eye can create a hazardous condition that may result in patient injury. During any ultrasonic procedure, metal particles may result from inadvertent touching of the ultrasonic tip with a second instrument. Another potential source of metal particles resulting from any ultrasonic handpiece may be the result of ultrasonic energy causing micro abrasion of the ultrasonic tip. ATTENTION: Refer to the Directions for Use and Operator's Manual for a complete listing of indications, warnings, cautions and notes. © 2014 Novartis 4/14 CNT13017JAD-A October 2014 continued on page 12 From left to right, Alan Crandall, MD, Susan MacDonald, MD, Sen. Rand Paul, MD, and David Chang, MD, took part in an ophthalmic outreach mission to Guatemala. Source: Susan MacDonald, MD EyeWorld 10/1/14