The Quang Tri Project

How, you may be asking, did the Illinois Association of Ophthalmology become interested in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam? And why are Dr. Jim Katz and IAO executive director Rich Paul going there? Best I can say is that it's almost the result of hapenstance.

While we were planning the logistics, we got in touch with a travel agency -- Global Spectrum -- which is located in the Washington, DC, area. They specialize in trips to Southeast Asia and, in particular, Vietnam. In a conversation with the agency owner, Marcia Selva, some issues of blindness and other possible eye diseases in Quang Tri Province came up. One thing led to another and the IAO leadership decided to see if there's something we can do to help address the needs there. The result is the "side trip" by Dr. Katz and Rich Paul to Dong Ha and surrounding areas.

The purpose of this visit is not to treat patients, but rather to get a handle on what sorts of eye care problems face the residents in Quang Tri. It appears that there is a rather high incidence of blindness, so the obvious question is: why? And what can be done about it? Our hope is that with the information gathered on our initial trip, plus other data collected, we will be able to put together a project to help address the needs in Quang Tri through a partnership with local organizations and the Illinois Association of Ophthalmology.

We are very grateful to be working with the Global Community Service Foundation, a non-profit associated with the Global Spectrum travel agency. In particular, their three representatives in Vietnam -- Dung K. Chu, Thang C. Dang (Dung's husband), and Tam X. Nguyen who is based in Quang Tri -- have been invaluable in organizing our trip. Tam has arranged visits to several locations throughout Quang Tri for Dr. Katz to conduct screening exams so we can better understand the eye conditions in the area.

We will be in Quang Tri from Wednesday, October 8 through Saturday, October 11. As the week progresses, I'll be posting reports about our experiences.

The First Team to Visit Hanoi

As I write this, it'll be only a week from today that the first group of IAO members will be departing for Vietnam. Three Chicago-area ophthalmologists will be teaching a two week phaco course. In the photo (from left to right), they are: James Katz, MD, who practices at Midwest Center for Sight in Des Plaines; Maria Rosselson, MD, of Chicago Cornea Consultants, Highland Park; and Chitra Nadimpalli, MD, of Wicker Park Eye Center, Chicago. Ronald C. May, MD (far right) of Ophthalmology Partners in Deerfield, is the IAO Project Vietnam director. Drs. Rosselson and Nadimpalli will share teaching duties the first week (October 6 - 10), and in the second week, Dr. Nadimpalli will be joined by Dr. Katz.

Our corporate partner, Alcon-Vietnam, has really come through to make the course happen. In addition to picking up nearly all of the costs (including our travel expenses), they are providing equipment, supplies and other materials. Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology is serving as host for the conference and is making their clinical and surgical facilities available. More later on all of the individuals who have worked hard to bring about this project.

This is no junket...each day will be packed. Typically, a lecture on a particular aspect of phacoemulsification surgery will be presented by one of the IAO members. That will be followed by a web lab and the next morning, 2-4 live surgery cases. The goal is for the students to have transitioned to phaco by the end of the course.

In about three months, we'll be sending another team of Illinois EyeMDs to Vietnam. They will travel to the provincial hospitals where the students practice to observe surgery and work with the Vietnamese ophthalmologists to refine their technique.

An opening ceremony is planned for Tuesday, October 7 with a press conference for local news media. I'll try to feed information back home, as well.

Standby for the next post. I'll write about "Jim's and Rich's Excellent Adventure to Quang Tri."

IAO's Project Vietnam -- why???

In October 2008, three members of the Illinois Association of Ophthalmology are travelling to Hanoi, Vietnam, to teach a course in cataract surgery (phacoemulsification). The large ophthalmic company, Alcon, is the corporate sponsor and the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology is hosting the course.

Why would a bunch of ophthalmologists be involved in something like this, you might ask? As is true with a lot of initiatives, this has its genesis with the experience and vision of a single individual. In this case, it was Ronald C. May, MD, an ophthalmologist who practices in Deerfield, Illinois. About 40 years ago, he got an all-expense paid trip to Vietnam courtesy of the U.S. government to serve as an Army physician during the war. More recently, he has gone back to Vietnam as a tourist. It was on one of these trips that he attended a medical conference in Hanoi and had occasion to visit the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO).

Turns out his hospital in Highland Park, IL, was getting some new cataract surgery machines and he thought the VNIO might find some use for the perfectly good equipment that was going to be retired. Although that export couldn't be worked out, discussions with Alcon executives developed into the "phaco" course in Hanoi.

As a longtime board member of the Illinois Association of Ophthalmology, Dr. May thought it would be a wonderful project for the group, and the IAO leadership agreed. Nearly 30 members already have expressed an interest in participating.

In our next post, we'll outline the basic concepts behind the course, and we'll report on an interesting side-project that may develop as an offshoot.

During the first course in October, Rich Paul -- IAO's executive director (and the author of this blog) -- will report "from the field." I hope you will find these reports to be of some interest.

Welcome

Welcome to the IAO blog! We'll post information, ideas, news and comments here from time to time. The Illinois Association of Ophthalmology is a professional society of ophthalmologists -- physicians to specialize in medical and surgical treatment of eye disease and routine vision care.

Be sure to check back to view posts about our upcoming project in Vietnam! Several of our members will be traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam to teach cataract surgery in conjunction with the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology and our corporate partner, Alcon Inc.

Thanks for joining our blog.

Rich Paul
Executive Director
IL Assn of Ophthalmology