Abstract

TRIANA, Idalia; SOCARRAS, Oaris de los Ángeles  and  RONDON, Nelsis. Cataract and pterygium surgery results in Venezuelan patients treated in the Misión Milagro program. MEDICC rev. [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.3, pp. 37-40. ISSN 1555-7960.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1555-79602012000300007.

An intervention to address vision loss was carried out in 2008 in Táchira, Venezuela, by health teams of the joint Cuban-Venezuelan initiative known as Misión Milagro. It included active case identification of patients with ophthalmologic conditions and, where warranted, surgery, followup, rehabilitation and medical discharge. From a universe of 345 patients aged >18 years with ophthalmologic conditions found, 210 were selected for cataract or pterygium surgery. Of cataract patients, 55.2% recovered optimal vision within three months after surgery, as did 90.9% of those with pterygium; frequency of complications was 15.4% in cataract patients and 41.7% in pterygium patients. The intervention was considered successful, although many patients' low-income status required premature postoperative return to their jobs and other labors, a factor considered detrimental to optimal recovery.

Keywords : Health disparities; medical missions; medical assistance; ophthalmology; cataract [extraction]; pterygium [surgery]; surgery; Venezuela; Cuba.