“Accurus” helps beat blindness

11.08.2010- Most of blind children in Africa don’t go to school…but much blindness is treatable. A new piece of equipment on the Africa Mercy is helping more kids see a future ahead.

The Mercy Ships eye team, headed by Dr. Glenn Strauss, Senior Vice President of Mercy Ships Health Care Initiatives, has proudly announced that a new piece of sophisticated equipment named “Accurus” is now in operation on board the Africa Mercy.

Donated last year by Alcon Surgical, the world's largest provider of specialty ophthalmic products, it facilitates pediatric cataract surgery by not only removing the cataracts with a high degree of safety but also addressing the problems that can occur after the surgery. These problems are treated in adults by laser, but laser doesn't work with children. The Accurus system is well-suited to take care of these problems, allowing Mercy Ships to upgrade the services it provides to pediatric eye patients.

Mercy Ships crew recently completed modifications in one of the operating rooms in order to install the proper connections for the required compressed air pressure. As a result, surgeons were recently able to use the equipment for the first time to correct bilateral cataracts in several children. Dr. Strauss is pleased with the performance of Accurus, saying, “From my point of view, the equipment makes the pediatric cataract cases a breeze to do.”