New Equipment Enables Critical Eye Surgeries in Jamaica

The LivWell team successfully completed its first cataract surgeries with our new phacoemulsification machine.

The surgeries were a collaborative effort led by Dr. Tecah Foster, LivWell’s Medical Director in Jamaica, and Dr. Pasteur Nshimyimana, BSF’s Medical Director in Haiti at Institut Brenda Strafford. The equipment, along with the collaboration, enabled the team to perform a critical procedure, an anterior vitrectomy, to provide the best care to our patient. This procedure would not have been possible without this type of device. 

One of the patients, Lena C. (pictured with two of our two doctors), was very happy to have had her surgery, already seeing better out of her operated eye just one day later. In her words, the surgery, “allows me to see and live better.” 

Another patient who had previously closed down their small business due to vision issues, is now feeling better only one day after surgery and is already making plans to reopen their shop. 

The team is very proud of these good outcomes and is very thankful to have the new equipment to better optimize health and well being for people in Jamaica. The new Oertli device was acquired with the help of Oertli, Canadian Vision Care, and Focus Inc.

Restoring vision not only improves health – it also helps restore independence and livelihoods. Learn more about our International Healthcare work: International Healthcare | theBSF.ca