We are a non-profit humanitarian organization, supported entirely through personal donations and sponsorships. The team at Visionaries International is comprised only of volunteers - there are no paid salaries. Our medical staff and volunteers donate their time and expertise to travel around the globe, providing quality education to fellow ophthalmologists.
Drs. Aldave, Basak and Deng conducted a corneal transplant surgical training course for the corneal surgeons at Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital. This course, which included lectures, live surgery, proctored surgery and a wet lab, was conducted in partnership with SightLife and with support provided by the American Eye Center in Ho Chi Minh City. The course will serve as a pilot program for similar programs to be conducted by SightLife in India beginning in 2013.
The goal of VI is to reduce the burden of corneal blindness in the developing world. This goal is accomplished through a multifaceted approach, which assesses and then addresses the obstacles that limit the ability of the corneal surgeons in each locale to successfully treat corneal blindness. Common obstacles faced in the developing world include:
Gagik was a 46-year-old welder in Yerevan, Armenia who was injured in 1995 when a carbide cylinder that he was working with broke open and the gas severely burned his corneas. Read Gagik's full story.
Mercina, a 73-year-old woman from Kolkata, India, was diagnosed with glaucoma almost 20 years ago, with progressively deteriorating vision. Read Mercina's full story.
Bhupati is a 64-year-old gentleman from Barrackpore, India who developed a serious systemic disease 10 years ago and subsequently experienced significant loss of vision in both eyes. Read Bhupati's full story.
