World Eye Mission Guyana

I was picked up daily from my hotel by Dr Sugrim. He gave me a hospital and eye clinic tour and introduced me to his staff. We began our first day around 8:30 am seeing glaucoma and cataract patients. We collected a few patients for possible surgeries. The glaucoma clinic is equipped with slit lamps, 90 D, 78 D, 20 D, indirect ophthalmoscope, fundus camera, YAG and argon lasers. I carried my own lenses and gonioscope. We have seen patients with advanced primary open angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation, chronic angle closure, uveitic and neovascular glaucoma. Allergan donated Lumigan bottles. Bausch and Lomb donated Vyzulta bottles and New world medical donated Ahmed valves for my Guyana mission. The clinic ends by 1 pm.

Two mornings were utilized for glaucoma surgeries. I have supervised Dr Kanhai in performing tube shunt surgery, posterior synechiolysis and anterior membranectomy in a patient with chronic uveitis. The following day, she performed tube shunt surgery in a failed trabeculectomy patient. Both surgeries were successful. The operating room is equipped with two Zeiss microscopes and one Alcon phaco and vitrectomy machine. The OR and clinic staff are experienced and caring. 

Following lunch, the lectures took place in the conference room till 3 pm. My lectures included aqueous humor dynamics, gonioscopy, optic nerve examination, secondary glaucomas, lasers and surgeries. The CME lecture was Glaucoma overview and ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. The lectures were attended by ophthalmologists, optometrists, general practitioners and students. 

The hospitality of the hosts is excellent. They have provided me with airport and hospital transportation, accommodation and food. I have stayed in El Dorado inn, located close to the hospital. The hotel is clean, safe and comfortable. Daily breakfast is included. In my free time, Dr Sugrim and doctors showed me around Georgetown. We visited the beach. I also visited the beautiful Kaieteur Falls by a small plane on Sunday. Kaieteur is the largest single-drop waterfall in the world. It is located on the Potaro River in Kaieteur National Park, central Essequibo Territory, Guyana. They treated me to a delicious farewell lunch at a local Indian restaurant.