Humanitarian Eyecare
The ASCRS Foundation works in Ethiopia and China providing medical and surgical care and training local ophthalmologists. The foundation's Robert Sinskey Eye Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, treated 10,000 patients in 2010, and our collaborative work with Project Vision in China will help prepare a new generation of ophthalmologists for work in a government-sponsored cataract care initiative.Find out more about Humanitarian Eyecare
Research
The ASCRS Foundation provides first-step seed money to explore new ideas. It's our goal to foster innovative thinking and encourage the development of promising treatment options. Over $350,000 has been awarded through the foundation's ongoing research initiative.Find out more about our Research
Awareness/Education
The ASCRS Foundation's Eye Surgery Education Council provides accurate and unbiased information about ophthalmic surgical options at www.eyesurgeryeducation.org. We work to properly educate both the public and the press about cataract and refractive surgery, and to counterbalance much of the marginalized and agenda-driven material that now clutters the web.Find out more about Awareness/Education
Latest News Stories
Sinskey Eye Institute Begins Surgical Glaucoma Initiative
- News Item
- June 17, 2011
The ASCRS Foundation’s Robert Sinskey Eye Institute will treat 12,000 patients in 2011 and the Eye Institute’s lead ophthalmologist, Dr. Kefaylew, estimates 25% of his patients suffer some form of glaucoma.
“Glaucoma is a major problem in Ethiopia and other poor regions in Africa and is the leading source of permanent blindness,” said Dr. Alan Crandall, Senior Vice Chairman of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Utah. Dr. Crandall has made several trips to Africa to train local ophthalmologists and is a past ASCRS president.
“Surgery is the best option to treat glaucoma patients in those parts of the world where medical therapy is not an option. Pressure-reducing eye drops can cost $100 a month. That’s a typical yearly salary for the average Ethiopian, plus there are no pharmacies near the villages where these patients live. <<more>> Donate Now
ASCRS Foundation’s Robert Sinskey Institute Needs Diagnostic Equipment
- News Item
- May 6, 2011
Increasing Patient Volume Strains Current Capacity
Additional diagnostic equipment is needed for the ASCRS Foundation’s Robert Sinskey Eye Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Sinskey Eye Institute is the foundation’s lead humanitarian project, and will treat over 12,000 patients this year – a 20% increase over 2010. With the ever-increasing patient volume has come the need to replace some older and/or non-functioning equipment. <<more>>
10,000 Treated in Ethiopia in 2010
- News Item
- November 16, 2010
Expansion Plans for 2011
Treating 10,000 patients in 2010, ASCRS Foundation's Robert M. Sinskey Eye Institute in Ethiopia is a major success story. A leading figure behind that success is Dr. Kefyalew Regassa Gobena, the Sinskey Eye Institute’s Staff Ophthalmologist.
Having had early aspirations to become an engineer, Dr. Kefyalew changed his plans after several stays in the hospital opened his eyes to the impact doctors could have on their patients.
In medical school Dr. Kefyalew was greatly influenced by one of his professors. "My professor in ophthalmology was a great woman in her profession," he noted. Dr. Kefyalew was impressed by the way she handled her patients, especially the cases of cataracts and anterior uveitis with keratic precipitates (KPs) that she treated. "It was miraculous to see a patient blinded by cataracts regain their sight. That's when I decided to become an ophthalmologist." <<more>>
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