FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Stephen Bunnell
(707) 815-9503
SEE Surgeon Treats Glaucoma in Jamaica
Santa Barbara, CA, August 7 2017 –SEE International is pleased to congratulate Garrick Chak, MD,of Los Angeles, CA, on a successful ophthalmological mission to Jamaica this past June. Dr. Chak traveled with a team of SEE volunteer medical professionals to St. Ann’s Bay, on the north shore of the Caribbean island nation. There, from June 9-18, he volunteered his skills as an eye surgeon. Because of the generosity of his team, consisting of three eye surgeons and many staff members, 75 Jamaicans received critical vision care, dramatically improving their outlook on life.
Dr. Chak’s trip to Jamaica is special in that it is one of SEE’s first forays into providing glaucoma surgery, as opposed to performing cataract surgery, overseas. Glaucoma, the second-leading cause of blindness in the world after cataracts, is a condition that involves vision loss from chronic optic nerve damage usually due to a buildup of pressure within the eye. If left untreated, it is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, as well. While SEE has traditionally focused its efforts on treating cataracts, changing global demographics have led the organization to delve into treating other sight-impairing conditions as well.
Glaucoma is very prevalent in Jamaica. The country has a population of just under 3 million residents, over 92% of whom are of African ancestry. African descent carries with it a greater risk of developing a particular type of glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a complex condition, with over 40 different subtypes. Unlike cataract surgery, which, when performed competently, is a quick, painless, and effective procedure, glaucoma treatment is a far more gradual process that requires long-term care, wherein doctors may see patients multiple times a year. Dr. Chak is not deterred by these factors, however; rather, he values the opportunity to build a relationship with local ophthalmologists and train them to take care of these patients together.
“It’s a great experience and literally a labor of love,” says Dr. Chak, of going on SEE expeditions. “There are wonderful feelings of gratitude that bring fulfillment to the service and hard work we provide.”
SEE and Dr. Chak would like to express their profound gratitude to the following corporations, who donated supplies that were critical to this expedition’s success: Volk, Iridex, Glaukos, New World Medical, Ocular Instruments, and Alcon. Without their generosity, we could not have brought the gift of sight to so many people in need.
Dr. Chak is a board-certifiedophthalmologist, fellowship-trained in glaucoma,at Kaiser Permanente, West Los Angeles.
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About SEE International
SEE International is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization that provides medical, surgical, and educational services by volunteer ophthalmic surgeons with the primary objective of restoring sight to disadvantaged blind individuals worldwide. Since 1974, SEE has examined over 3.8 million men, women, and children, and performed more than 460,000 sight-restoring surgeries.
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