Patients Regain Hope of Seeing Again with Corneal Transplants

Eleven patients with severe eye diseases received a new opportunity to regain their sight thanks to the most recent Corneal Surgery Brigade conducted by Honduran and international specialists from the Robles Eye Center and CAMO.

This brigade was made possible through the efforts of Honduran specialist Dr. Laura Lucía Ponce and American ophthalmologists Dr. Jay Stewart and Dr. Julie Schallhorn from the University of San Francisco, who traveled to Honduras to perform the transplants.

A corneal transplant in Honduras is very costly, making this surgery difficult to access for individuals with limited financial resources. The corneas used in the surgeries for CAMO patients were secured by Dr. Schallhorn and donated by CorneaGen.

Thanks to this humanitarian effort, 11 patients have successfully undergone surgery and are currently being monitored for their recovery.

Patients Who Regained Hope 

The beneficiaries of this brigade have suffered from conditions such as keratoconus, pseudophakic keratopathy, and corneal leukoma—diseases that impair vision and can lead to total blindness.

Patient recovery will take approximately three months, during which they will be closely monitored to assess the success of the transplants.

Dr. Julie Schallhorn has been facilitating cornea donations for the past two years, and this is the third brigade in which she has participated.

It is hoped that this effort can be repeated at least once a year, depending on the availability of donations and specialists.