Try is a 70-year-old moto taxi driver from Cambodia. He is married with three sons, four daughters, and nine grandchildren. He enjoys watching Khmer dramas on TV.
One year ago, Try developed a cataract in each eye. This causes him blurred vision and cloudy lenses. He can’t see clearly or do his work well.
For $292, Try will undergo cataract surgery in both eyes. After the surgeries in each eye, Try will be able to see clearly again.
Try successfully received surgery so he can see clearly again.
Try’s eye cataract was successfully removed from his left eye and clear vision has been restored. Following the operation, Try was given eye drops to reduce inflammation and fight infection. He went home after the first surgery and has yet to return to have the same operation completed in the other eye. Because returning to the clinic requires taking a day off from work and usually a family escort, he may have had trouble finding a day to come back. Also, because he left with clear vision in one eye, his problems with blurred vision are less of a burden making the second surgery a less immediate priority than the first. The second surgery will be free whenever Try returns.
“I feel very happy that I can see everything clearly,” shares Try. “I can continue my work as a moto taxi driver.”
Try was submitted by Hannah Callas, Stakeholder Relations Officer at Children's Surgical Centre.
Try received treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
Try's profile was published to start raising funds.
Try's treatment was fully funded.
What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?
Patients with cataracts experience decreased vision, discomfort, and irritation. Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, causing functional blindness. These changes in the lens commonly occur with increasing age and therefore affect elderly people. Cataracts can also be congenital or traumatic.
What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?
The decreased vision from cataracts can cause functional blindness. This makes it difficult for the patient to conduct daily activities. Patients often need a family member to help guide and care for them.
If the patient is elderly, this often affects a young child in the family. When a grandmother needs help getting around, a young child is often assigned to help with her daily tasks. That child cannot go to school.
What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?
In many countries in the developing world, surgical services are inadequate. Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness globally. Even where surgical services are available, barriers to surgery remain, including cost, shortage of human resources, poor infrastructure, and limited awareness about access to available services.
What does the treatment process look like?
Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed worldwide. Surgeons remove the cloudy lens and place a clear lens implant in its place.
What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?
A patient's vision can improve to 20/20 within one day after the surgery.
What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?
Cataract surgery is highly effective and carries a low risk.
How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?
Cataract surgery is available in most areas of Cambodia. However, free surgery is not as widely available.
What are the alternatives to this treatment?
Some debilitating effects of cataracts can be improved with glasses. When the cataract becomes mature, however, the only definitive treatment is surgical.