A Promise to Peru: Cataract Surgical & Medical Mission
Rebekah H. Gensure, PhD
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854
PURPOSE
Patiently waiting
This organization provides an annual cataract
surgical and medical mission to the Sacred
Valley of Peru and nearby regions.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS
• 1600 patients evaluated
• Trip provided excellent hands-on learning
experience in how to conduct
comprehensive eye examination in
Spanish (aided by Quechuan translators)
• 1000 prescription glasses &
sunglasses dispensed
• 85 cataract surgeries provided able to perform 68% more
cataract surgeries than in 2013
(thanks to additional donations)
OUR TEAM
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Volunteer physicians
Nurse practitioners & nurses
Allied health professionals
Students from Stony Brook School of Medicine &
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• Masters in Public Health students
• SUNY optometry students
• Undergraduate students
RESULTS
• 50 Ultrasound examinations
Patients traveled for hours, often by foot, to reach our clinic.
The line for patients waiting to be seen often stretched out
the door to the hospital and around the corner even before
our team arrived for the day.
• Medical education with handson training provided for:
– 4 resident physicians
– 18 graduate students
Cataract surgery in tandem
• Gained familiarity in travel clinic setup
• Became quite comfortable with medical
history taking in Spanish
• Experienced truly grateful and satisfied
patients (see below)
• Changed targeted specialty for residency
and fostered strong interest for future
experience in global health
– 4 undergraduate students
• Student-organized patient
education workshops:
– Dental hygiene
– Back exercises to prevent
low back pain
– Hand washing
• International health symposium
for local physicians and patients
BACKGROUND
• Cataracts: leading cause of blindness in
middle / low income countries
• 80% of all visual impairment can be avoided
or cured
• Unequal ophthalmology access in Peru (75%
of Peruvian ophthalmologists work in Lima,
where only 25% of the population resides)
With a split OR setup, our team was able to perform two
cataract surgeries simultaneously.
• Research projects on portable
ultrasound & malnutrition
For more information: www.APromiseToPeru.com
Dedication to patient care
https://www.facebook.com/APromiseToPeru
Our mission has been featured on Medscape:
http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/peru-medical-mission
PERSONAL MOTIVATION & GOALS
• Interested in global health & travel
• Background in Spanish language (>12 years)
but no prior formal travel abroad experience
• Want to learn more about ophthalmology
• Wanted to get familiar with conducting history
& physical exam in Spanish
• Eager to learn more about Quechuan culture
CONTACT INFO
Dr. Joseph Ng, MD, a critical care intensivist who monitored
patients before and after each case with ophthalmologist Dr.
Michael Sable, MD, shown here with a patient getting ready
for surgery.
Above: Stony Brook M4 Mari Yasunaga demonstrates
dental hygiene for children in Sacred Valley region
Below: RWJMS M2 Sanjay Jumani tackles patient
education with students from Niños del Arco Iris.
Supported by:
Rutgers RWJMS Office of Global Health
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Dr Victor Rozas of Peruvian American Medical Society
Dr Francisco Morales of Wiñaypaq Association Pro Human
Development
Helena Van Engelen & Foundacion Ninos del Arco Iris
Dr Frilo Silva & Caprese Eye Clinic
Cuzco and Surgical Eye Expeditions of Santa Barbara,
California
JetBlue Airways