The Christian Ophthalmic Surgery Expedition Network (ChOSEN) is actively recruiting volunteer ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgical assistants, and surgical nurses for their upcoming eye surgery projects in Mexico and Nicaragua.

Mexico:
ChOSEN has a 15-year relationship with in-country partners affiliated with a Christian university in Mexico and has done over 12,000 cataract and retina surgeries over the years. Mostly in the greater Monterrey area. This year, they are recruiting volunteer ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgical assistants, and surgical nurses for several projects in Mexico.

• Dates: Typically, for a one-week trip, expect 3-5 operating days depending on the specific project and involve just eye surgery from our team (no clinic work).
• The in-country partner performs the pre-operative and postoperative care.
• The principal site in the greater Monterrey area allocates 6-7 operating rooms in a hospital-based setting for the projects.
• Teams typically perform 400-600 eye surgeries during a one-week project (approximately 300-500 cataract surgeries and 100 pars plana vitrectomies).
• Most of the cataract surgery (80-90%) is done by phaco and the remainder by MSICS.
• Equipment / Supplies: Largely Alcon products and the equipment includes 2 Centurions, 4 Infinitis, 1 Constellation, 1 Stellaris for posterior segment surgery, 6 Zeiss microscopes and 1 Luxor Revalia.
• The team will consist of 1-3 people who will communicate the Gospel to the patients as well as prepare a daily mini-Sermon and worship service for the project team.
• Spanish Bibles are distributed to all surgical patients, and we try to plug patients into a church congregation whenever possible.
• All travel/transportation/food/hotel is arranged by ChOSEN and your safety is top priority.
• The hotel accommodation is Best Western-quality with WI-FI access.
• Fluency in Spanish is not needed.

Estimated cost: See below

Nicaragua:
Nicaragua was specifically targeted by ChOSEN because it was one of two countries in the western hemisphere with < 500 cataract surgeries per one million population being conducted annually according to the World Health Organization (the other being Haiti).

ChOSEN sent two medical missionaries to Nicaragua in 2021 and have now completed a 14,000 square foot surgical center in Chinandega.

• Dates: Typically, for a one-week trip, expect 5 operating days and it will involve just eye surgery from our team (no clinic work).
• Equipment / Supplies are mostly Alcon products, and we have 4 Centurions, 2 Infinitis, 2 Constellations, 6 Visu 160 Zeiss microscopes, and one Luxor Revalia.
• We have the capabilities of running up to 8 surgical beds at once.
• Most of the cataract surgery (90%) is done by phaco and the remainder by MSICS.
• Our eye surgery projects in Nicaragua are provided free-of-charge to public patients, and our projects provide the only phaco and pars plana vitrectomy operations on public patients in Nicaragua.
• Our in-country medical missionaries provide the preoperative and postoperative care, and thus volunteer ophthalmologists would just perform surgery (not clinic).
• ChOSEN collaborates with the public Nicaraguan hospital system and our projects are now providing care on patients who live throughout the entire country.
• 1-3 people are designated to evangelize to the patients as well as prepare a daily mini-Sermon and worship service for the project team.
• We distribute Spanish Bibles to all surgical patients and try to plug patients into a church congregation whenever possible.
• All travel/transportation/food/hotel are arranged by ChOSEN and your safety is our priority.
• The hotel accommodations are Best Western-quality or better with WI-FI access.
• These projects are one-week long, and a typical phaco surgeon would perform 12-18 phaco surgeries per operating day.
• Fluency in Spanish is not needed.

Costs for Short-Term Mission Trips to Mexico and Nicaragua
ChOSEN typically requests an all-inclusive donation amount from Ophthalmologists that includes travel/food/lodging/supplies/skilled staff support for the duration of the project).

Mexico: 3 operating days (half-week) ---> 4,000-6,000 USD, 5 operating days (one week) ---> 8,000-10,000 USD
Nicaragua: 5 operating days (one week) --> 8,000-10,000 USD

If an Ophthalmologist is recently out of residency/fellowship, the ChOSEN board will sometimes make the donation on behalf of the volunteer, particularly if the board believes the volunteer will continue to participate with ChOSEN for many years to come in the future.

If the volunteer is an ophthalmic nurse, tech, or pastor, they are not expected to make a donation to participate (just their time and work).

The above donations made by participating Ophthalmologists fund the participation of the skilled assistants needed to conduct the eye surgery during the project.

You can find out more about ChOSEN by going to their website: https://www.choseneyemission.com/

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please contact us at: info@christianeye.net, or ChOSEN at chosenmedical@gmail.com