AYV News, October 28, 2024
The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Health, in partnership Duke University Eye Center, has offered a 4-day Free Corneal Transplant Surgery held at the Connaught Hospital Eye Clinic in Freetown.
Deputy Minister of Health 2, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha, who doubles as Ophthalmologist, working at the Connaught Hospital said the surgery was conducted by herself and another Ophthalmologist under the guidance of a Cornea Specialist from Duke University.
She said a Cornea Transplant is an operation to remove all or part of a damaged Cornea and replace it with healthy donor tissue.
According to her, Cornea Transplant is often referred to as Keratoplasty or a Corneal Graft, adding that it can be used to improve sight, relieve pain and treat severe infection or damage.
Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha concluded that the Surgery was part of celebrations marking the Corneal Transplant Week, adding it was started in 2022 and to date, they have successfully done surgery on seventy-two patients, with over ninety operations.
She referenced a standout case of a mother who has been blind for twenty-nine years and has never seen her children but after the Surgery, her sight was reinstated and now she is able to see her children.
Dr. Lloyd Williams, Duke Global Ophthalmology Director and Cornea Surgeon has dedicated his free time to improve the lives of others by giving the gift of sight to people with blinding eye diseases in Sierra Leone, Central America, Africa and other areas of the world.
He performed the first corneal transplant in Sierra Leone in 2021 and is currently at the Sight Saver Department of the Connaught hospital where he is helping to treat eye related ailments.
Duke Health Duke University School of Medicine Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) AAO Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS).
For Dr. Williams, curing blindness in parts of central America and west Africa is about helping others and relieving suffering.
Two years ago, Williams made history in Sierra Leone where he performed the first cornea transplant ever in that country.
Duke Dr. Lloyd Williams said: “I wanted to do something to help the world. One thing I’d like to say to people is, if you have the opportunity, if you’re willing to give up something to really make a huge difference in people’s lives … the cost is well worth it”.
The Duke Ophthalmologist spends eight weeks out of the year in parts of West Africa and Central America teaching and performing procedures and surgeries that give people their sight back. While he’s there, he doesn’t collect a paycheck. Instead, the return is something even more valuable.
Duke Dr. Lloyd Williams said: “Taking the bandages off each patient is a powerful moment every time. All of those were people who were completely blind in both eyes. Once we did the surgery, about 99% could see afterwards. When one person in the family goes blind, it can plunge the whole family into poverty, because not only can that person not work anymore, there has to be at least one other person who is caring for them”.
The surgeries can mean not only a restoration of sight, but also economic opportunity for families who live in serious poverty.
Helping adults, by extension, helps whole families. He’s been present when parents see their child for the first time.
“Restoring the one adult to vision usually also changes the child’s life as well,” Williams said.
