Coya, Peru – August 2025

Team Type: Ophthalmologic

Campaign Summary: 
Our team saw 332 patients and performed 41 surgeries in six days. 

Together we trained the following Peruvians: two nurses, one technician, and one recent medical graduate/physician. We performed 23 cataract surgeries, 14 pterygium surgeries, 2 strabismus surgeries, 1 cornea procedure (anterior lamellar keratectomy), and a nasal lacrimal probing.

We also treated hundreds of patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca and allergic conjunctivitis. We diagnosed and treated 3 patients with glaucoma. We performed 4 laser YAG (Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet) capsulotomies and gave out over 200 pairs of glasses to treat uncorrected refractive error. 

Supporters:
Alcon Foundation — Fort Worth, Texas
Allergan — Cincinnati, Ohio
Cataract and Laser Institute — Medford, Oregon
MAP International — Brunswick, Georgia

Team Members and Roles:
Joel Connors, Circulator
Priscilla Corona, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Surgical Scrub/Assistant
to Dr. Allison Jarstad, D.O.
Dr. Allison Jarstad, D.O., Team Leader and Ophthalmologist
Birkley Maddox, Vision Checker and Screener
Haley Maddox, Translator
Olivia Monda, Assistant
Dr. Paul Schultz, M.D., Ophthalmologist and Founder of Have a Vision
Hyla Trost, Circulator
Janae Young, Preoperative Testing and Surgical Scrub/Assistant to Dr.
Schultz
Lillian Young, Vision Checker and Screening
Lucy Young, Preoperative and Postoperative Care

General Narrative:

By Dr. Allison Jarstad, D.O.

The team was excited to return to Coya, Peru after taking a year off when one of the leading surgeons (Dr. Jarstad) had a baby. Dr. Jarstad was excited to bring a team back to Coya. The team was mixed with five returning volunteers and five new volunteers.

Here are some highlights and fond memories from the trip:

“Juanita”

“Juanita” came in for surgery 2 years ago, but she had eaten a potato that morning and wasn’t able to have surgery due to the increased risk of aspiration. She came back this year and waited for surgery all day. She ended up eating lunch, so we postponed her surgery one more day due to the same risk of aspiration. We were able to convince the anesthesiologist to return the next day to do her surgery. She had her strabismus surgery on Friday September 5th. Her post-operative appointment was Saturday and she was doing very well!

“Pablo”

“Pablo” is a 50 year old male patient. He presented with a history of a work related injury where concrete got into both eyes. His vision was “Hand Motion” in both eyes. (Hand Motion means that he can only see shadows of movement.) He had a large neovascular pannus covering both of his corneas. We decided to treat him with oral steroids and doxycycline for 3 days. He returned for a lamellar keratectomy with ocular surface reconstruction. Dr. Jarstad, D.O. carefully and meticulously dissected the neovascular pannus, then sutured the amniotic membrane to the ocular surface. We are hopeful he will regain some functioning vision.

“Raul”

“Raul” is a 42 year old male who had a light perception cataract in his left eye. He underwent cataract surgery with Dr. Jarstad, D.O. on September 2, 2025, and was ecstatic to be seeing 20/30 on his first post-op day. From being legally blind to having vision, which is legal to drive uncorrected in the United States, was incredible. This 15 minute surgery was truly life-changing.

By: Haley Maddox, Returning Volunteer/Translator:

The first time I met Daiami was in 2019. It was my first time in Peru with the Have a Vision team and the Kausay Wasi Clinic. She received her first eye surgery that year and her second one on our return trip in 2023. In 2025 she came back and we were able to tell her that her eyes look amazing and that no surgery was needed. She was able to meet Birkley, my daughter, who she had been hearing about since 2019. I’m so thankful to have been a tiny piece of this young girl’s successful story.