Dr. Lombardo goes to Honduras to learn new surgical technique

Posted in: News / Events on July 11, 2011

From July 7th to July 10th, Dr. Lombardo was in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, learning Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) from Dr. Diego Meija. The technique is useful for extracting cataracts in Third World countries where expensive, modern technology is not available. It is particularly well-suited for dense cataracts that are common in these patients. In fact, the technique is proposed by experts as the standard that volunteer eye surgeons ought to learn in an effort to reduce the prevalence of global blindness from cataracts. Currently, cataracts are the leading cause of worldwide blindness. Although vision loss associated with cataracts is often completely reversible, delivering care to people in need has been a challenge. MSICS aims to change that.

The trip was sponsored by Surgical Eye Expeditions and Vision Outreach International. Dr. Lombardo plans on using the skills he learned to attend, and perhaps lead, mission trips to nations around the world.