September 28, 2023: * Coronavirus Update * Doctor is available Today. The average time to get results is less than 2 hours.
Hospital de la Familia is an eye hospital located in a remote village in Guatemala. Every 3 months, teams of eye doctors volunteer to trek to Central America to perform vision restoring cataract surgery for patients who would otherwise never be able to see. Established in 1973, HDLF has been providing medical,
surgical, pediatric, obstetric and hearing services to over 15,000 patients annually. Dr. Dan Landmann has had the privilege of volunteering in Guatemala several times.
Our primary focus is cataract surgery – because it is in high demand, readily curable, cost and time efficient. We provide high quality surgical care to patients who are “legally blind”. Even after years of blindness, patients can often obtain what would be considered ‘legal driving vision’ after a 45 minute surgery. Teams of nurses, doctors, technicians and translators are inspired by their desire to cure blindness in this developing country.
The cost to the patient is nominal. Often, they give what they can afford.
Blindness caused by cataracts not only affects the individual who is taken out of the workforce, but also the patient’s caregiver, usually a young child who is taken out of school. It is easy to imagine the impact on the family and the community.
Please help us provide vital medical and surgical services to this impoverished region. All the nurses and physicians that travel to Guatemala pay for their own flights and volunteer their time.
So essentially, all donations are used to pay for intra-ocular lenses, medical supplies, surgical instruments, eye glasses or glaucoma drops.
| Not All Cataracts Are The Same | ||
|---|---|---|
| USA | GUATEMALA | |
| Symptoms | Blurry vision, glare, problems reading, watching TV & driving. | Legally Blind - patients cannot work or feed themselves. Need 24 hour/day assistance. |
| Vision | Worse than 20/60 | Can’t see the “Big E” or even someone waving a hand in front of them. Sometimes, all patients can perceive is if the lights are on/off. |
| Cataract | Like a dirty lens. Able to be chopped up by ultrasound. | Literally, has the consistency of a small rock inside the eyeball. Opaque, white and solid. |
| Surgery | $100,000 ultrasound machine. | The old, “crowbar & the back of your foot” technique. Frequent flash storms and power outages cripple the ultrasound machine. |
| Time | 15-30 Minutes. | 45-60 Minutes. |
| Cost Of Surgery | $961, with Medicare | Can be as little as $15-$20. |
| Barriers To Care | Need a ride to Surgery Center | Some patients come from neighboring Mexico. Some travel as far as 170 miles. Some walk or ride a bus for 2 days. |
If you are able to fund or donate a Surgical Microscope or autoclave, then please call 510-883-9064
Dr. Landmann is just one of the few surgeons who volunteers his time with Hospital de la Familia.
P.O. Box 12981
Berkeley, California 94712 – 3981
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