Pacific Eye's Dr. Chowins and surgery technician Eric White have returned from their medical mission to the remote town of Nuevo Progresso, Guatemala. 

They utilized Hospital de la Familia’s local clinic to perform 178 surgeries and hold over 480 consultations.

The majority of surgeries performed were to remove cataracts. The team had a very careful selection process to determine which patients were in most dire need of surgery as doctors had to carefully assess if the eye would be able to function beneath the cataract.

"The most difficult part about this trip was realizing that I can't help everyone. Some patient’s conditions are so severe and advanced that you have to send them back home. It's truly heart wrenching."

Treating cataracts in third world countries such as Guatemala is a difficult task, as patients have extreme cases.  When cataracts go untreated for long periods of time they become advanced, hard, and more difficult to remove. To remove such advanced cataracts doctors must use different surgery techniques that allow them to cut a larger incision to fully remove the cataract. Whereas in the US patients would see a physician with less advanced cataracts and have a much less challenging surgery.

Other surgeries performed were eye muscle surgeries for patients who see double and corrective surgery for children with crossed eyes. In Guatemala children with crossed eyes are social outcasts, as they are denied an education, job, and the privilege of getting married. When cross eyed children get a corrective eye surgery they are then reaccepted back into society.

The clinic saw 100 – 130 patients per day, Dr. Chowins worked 12 hour days in the clinic.  Dr. Chowins fluency in Spanish has allowed him to hold a key role in the clinic. 

Eric White has been in ophthalmology since 1992. This was his first trip to Guatemala, although White has wanted to do a medical mission for 20 years now. 

White played an essential role as a surgery technician. He and the ophthalmologists he was paired with performed a total of 40 surgeries and were spending a total of 11 hours a day in the operating room.  Eric White comments, "I came home with a refreshed attitude on my profession.  Everyone should get involved in something like this to realize why they do what they do."

White and Chowins plan to return to Guatemala next year.

Pacific Eye’s doctors and staff are passionate about philanthropic opportunities which allow them to improve vision on a global scale. Chowins said he volunteers because "everyone has something to give. We are incredibly blessed as Americans. How could you not give?"

For more information, contact Pacific Eye at (805) 545-8100 or visit www.PacEyeMD.com. To learn more about Hospital de la Familia, visit www.hospitaldelafamilia.com.