Skills Exchange at Hetauda Community Eye Hospital, Nepal

HCP International Fellow Dr. Neda Nikpoor attended a three day outreach at the Hetauda Community Eye Hospital in Nepal where she participated in skills exchange with local ophthalmologists Drs. Sunil and Malita, both of whom completed their ophthalmology residencies within the past 5 years. Dr. Nikpoor received instruction on small incision cataract surgery (SICS) technique and provided instruction on phacoemulsification. Together the team was able to provide approximately 100 cataract surgeries, 70 SICS and 30 phacoemulsification surgeries.

When asked what the highlight of the event was, Dr. Nikpoor said:

“The best part was seeing Dr. Sunil and Dr. Malita transform over the course of the three days from being unsure while doing phaco surgeries to being able to do cases with very little supervision. They made huge advancements in their skills and learned a lot from practicing and observing one another.”

Dr. Nikpoor is now on her way to India to participate in an External Disease and Ocular Surface Fellowship at LV Prasad Eye Institute. While there, she plans to learn new techniques for combating eye diseases common to the developing world.