In the U.S., all medical and surgical procedures cost tens of thousands of dollars. In other countries the procedures are pennies on the dollar. How does that work? It is not just because of the developing country status. There are other factors in play, like the ophthalmologists who dedicate their time and skills to projects that bring $20 cataract surgery to the indigent. If you are interested in a $20, technologically advanced cataract surgery, here is how you can get it.
Travel to India or Tibet
There are ophthalmologists from America working in India and Tibet. It is a cultural and educational exchange that helps train the doctors of poorer countries to perform safe, clean and effective surgeries on patients there while providing a much needed service. In Tibet, there are "cataract camps" where surgeries are performed for very little money, and you could go there and wait your turn for surgery. In Madurai, India, there is a state-of-the-art facility that processes several thousand cataract surgeries every year and several hundred every month. It takes all of ten minutes to come in, fill out the paperwork at the reception desk in the facility and perform the vision tests required for surgery.
The Standard Surgery vs. the New Micro-Incision Process
The "cataract camps" in Tibet still perform standard cataract surgery, which means you would have to either spend some time recuperating in Tibet, or have someone else fly with you so that you can get through an airport and get on a plane. Of course, you would still have to wait for your eyes to heal enough to get on the plane and avoid ruptures from plane cabin pressure on your eyes.
In the facility in India, there is a new micro-incision process that makes a very tiny incision on the cornea. Your diseased lens is removed and a $10 man-made lens is inserted in its place. The procedure takes less than a half hour for both eyes, and you are cleared to leave the country within a matter of days because the incision has already healed.
Fly Home and Follow up with Your Own Ophthalmologist
After you have received your successful and (relatively) inexpensive eye surgery, be sure to follow up with your own eye doctor. He or she can check to make sure you have no issues with the surgery, post-operation. Your eye doctor can also prescribe eye drops or any other needed medication in the event that you need it.
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