Surgical Eye Expeditions International Inc

SURGICAL EYE EXPEDITIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC. IS A NONPROFIT, HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES MEDICAL, SURGICAL, AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES BY VOLUNTEER OPHTHALMIC SURGEONS WITH THE PRIMARY GOAL OF RESTORING SIGHT TO BLIND INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE.

INTERNATIONAL VISION PROGRAMSEE INTERNATIONAL TRANSFORMS LIVES BY RESTORING SIGHT TO THOSE IN NEED. SEE ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO VISION CARE, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE, WHERE THEY LIVE, OR THEIR ABILITY TO PAY.OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS, SEE HAS RESTORED SIGHT TO OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2023, WE CONTINUED TO SEE AN INCREASE IN REQUESTS FROM OUR VOLUNTEER NETWORK OF DOCTORS, TRAVELING AGAIN TO CONTINUE IN THE MISSION OF RESTORING SIGHT. ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME RESIDUAL AFTERMATH OF THE UNFORESEEN CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC IMPACTING THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT WE CAN OFFER OUR PROGRAMS TODAY, THE READINESS AND COMMITMENT TO RESTORE SIGHT CONTINUED TO RISE IN 2023. OUR SEE VOLUNTEER TEAMS, AND INTERNATIONAL PROVIDER PARTNERS PERFORMED MORE THAN 46,000 MAJOR EYE SURGERIES AND 64,000 EYE EXAMS, IN 40 COUNTRIES.CARE IS PROVIDED AT NO COST TO THE PATIENT. WITH IMMENSE GRATITUDE FOR OUR VALUED DONORS, CRUCIAL VOLUNTEER MEDICAL TEAMS, AND GLOBAL PARTNERS, SEE CAN CONTINUE TO BE AN ACTIVE ORGANIZATION IN RESTORING SIGHT GLOBALLY AND TRANSFORMING LIVES, ONE SURGERY AT A TIME. WHEN PREVENTABLE BLINDNESS IS LEFT UNTREATED, INDEPENDENCE IS LOST NOT ONLY BY THE AFFLICTED INDIVIDUAL, BUT ALSO BY HIS OR HER FAMILY AND CARETAKERS. A 1015-MINUTE SURGERY CAN CHANGE MANY LIVES AND SEE IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUE TO REACH THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.

SANTA BARBARA VISION CARE PROGRAMSEE SERVES ITS LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH ITS SANTA BARBARA VISION CARE PROGRAM. IN 2023 CLOSE TO 6,000 LOCALS RECEIVED FREE EYE CARE FROM THE PROGRAM. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, WE HAVE SERVED MORE THAN 85,000 LOW-INCOME, UNINSURED, OR UNDER INSURED SANTA BARBARA COUNTY AND VENTURA COUNTY RESIDENTS. IN 2023, THE SANTA BARBARA VISION CARE PROGRAM REINFORCES THE NEWLY REINSTATED PARTNERSHIP WITH TWO LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, HALTED DURING THE PANDEMIC, TO SERVE THE STATE MANDATED GRADES WITH EYE SCREENINGS. THIS PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED TO PROVE THE GREAT NEED OF THE STUDENTS OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. OUR EFFORTS TO GROW THE LOCAL PROGRAM CONTINUED WITH AN ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIP IN 2023 TO SERVE MORE VENTURA COUNTY RESIDENTS. THE PROGRAM OFFERS SAFETY-NET VISION CARE SERVICES THROUGHOUT SANTA BARBARA COUNTY AND NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING EYE EXAMS, NO-COST GLASSES, AND EYE DROPS, WE OFFER SPECIALTY CARE SERVICES, THAT CAN INCLUDE SURGERY THROUGH A NETWORK OF LOCAL VOLUNTEER EYE SURGEONS, FOR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE NO OTHER MEANS OF RECEIVING THE NEEDED EYE CARE.

EDUCATION DIVISIONSEE OFFERS HANDS ON TRAINING ON MANUAL SMALL INCISION CATARACT SURGERY (MSICS); A LOW-COST, LOW TECH FORM OF CATARACT EXTRACTION THAT SAVES TIME, MONEY, AND ENERGY, MOST COMMONLY USED IN THIRD WORLD AND REMOTE AREAS, GLOBALLY. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO THE NATURE OF CATARACTS IN AREAS WHERE WE WORK (HARD, DENSE, AND MATURE), SURGEONS ARE UNABLE TO USE THE SAME MEASURES TO REMOVE THE CATARACTS THAT THEY WOULD IN THE US. IN 2006, WE OFFERED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO OPHTHALMOLOGISTS AND RESIDENTS IN THEIR FINAL YEARS OF SCHOOL THROUGH OUR TRAINING AND IN 2023, WE FOCUSED EFFORTS OF SUPPORTING THE TRAINING OF INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTS. WE OFFER TWO LEVELS OF TRAINING:- LEVEL 1 MSICS COURSES: LECTURE AND WET LAB FOR THOSE NEW TO THE TECHNIQUE.- LEVEL 2 MSICS COURSES: SUPERVISED HANDS-ON SURGERY IN THE FIELD.WE SUPPORTED THE TRAINING OF 236 TRAINEES IN 2023, 108 OF WHICH WERE INTERNATIONAL. THROUGHOUT 2023, SEE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE VISION 2020 LINKS-USA PROGRAM WHICH MATCHES INTERNATIONAL NEEDS WITH INSTITUTIONAL EXPERTISE TO CREATE STRONGER VISION CARE SYSTEMS. THE RIIO AND WILLS EYE HOSPITAL LINKS PROJECT DISPLAYED GREAT SUCCESS LEADING TO A SECOND 3RD YEAR CYCLE OF SEE SUPPORT IN 2022. SEE ALSO CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THE SECOND LINKS PROGRAM BETWEEN EMORY UNIVERSITY AND ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY THROUGH 2023. SEES STRATEGIC VISION OF FOCUSING MOST OF OUR EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS INTERNATIONALLY, WAS PRACTICED IN GREAT DEPTH AND WITH MORE INTENTION IN 2023. WE FOUND SUCCESS IN THIS CHANGE TO REACH THE LONGER TERM GOAL OF SUPPORTING THE BUILD OF SUSTAINABLE EYE CARE MODELS, GLOBALLY.