I had a chance to perform another ophthalmologic mission in Lubumbasi, the capital of wealthy Katanga county. The aim of these missions is twofold: to operate on children and to give advanced training to the surgeon of the St Bernadette Ophthalmologic Centre. This dual task is difficult because I see and operate on a great many children, and there is simply no time left for the second one.

Siblings with cataracts. The serious amblyopia (dim vision) is due to belated operations

This time too, during my ten day stay I performed 32 (paediatric) eye operations. Here in Africa, childhood cataracts are relatively common. A specific type of technique is required for their removal, and the aftercare is a great challenge for ophthalmic institutions.
In spite of all this it is extremely important to operate as soon as possible, as this is the only way of preventing the development of amblyopia.

 The right eye after a secondary cataract operation. „I’m beautiful again and I can even see!”

One of the „curiosities” of this mission was that in a school for the blind and visually impaired we found four children with operable bilateral cataracts, who had been at the school for three years! An amazing negligence on the part of the school’s staff! They were between the ages of four and six, thus the operation could provide them only with very reduced eyesight.  An eight year-old child from the school! What a sad state of affairs! We operated on adults as well with the most modern phacoemulsification technique, and the outcomes were fabulous.

By the time we got back to Mbuji Mayi, numerous patients awaited us. Our little ophthalmic centre has lately become very frequented, our surgical result are very good, and we have gained the confidence of our patients. On many an occasion we have to try and persuade a patient that the operation is not urgent, let’s wait with it for a while… Sometimes I am more than a little daunted by the thought of my audacity of touching a child’s eye. However, the uncertainty disappears in the operating theatre and is replaced by joy and great hope!