FAIRFAX, Va.—The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Foundation has announced its third annual National Sight Week from Oct. 14 to 20. National Sight Week is a celebration of volunteerism with the goal of increasing the number of charitable cataract surgeries and raising overall awareness of the need for the Operation Sight program. During this week, members of the ASCRS Foundation’s Operation Sight Network are encouraged to contribute one or more charitable cataract surgeries in their own communities. The ASCRS Foundation works to match disadvantaged, eligible patients with volunteer surgeons, and provides a financial stipend for each surgery completed.

“Operation Sight makes it possible to care for patients who would not ordinarily have access to the surgical care they need,” said Emily Graves, MD, Operation Sight Volunteer Surgeon. “Blindness is more than just lack of vision. Someone who is blind can lose their independence, lose their job, and have to rely on friends and family to take care of them. Cataract surgery for these people restores far more than just vision, and partners like the ASCRS Foundation help make that happen.”

To expand the reach of Operation Sight and address the need of cataract patients across the U.S., the ASCRS Foundation is encouraging surgeons to join the Operation Sight network. Program staff will match new and returning volunteers with eligible patients. Surgeons interested in volunteering through Operation Sight can visit ascrsfoundation.org/osvolunteer. There is no minimum number of cases required to participate, and the Foundation will work to generate positive press for the practices that choose to take part, the ASCRS stated.

Operation Sight is the ASCRS Foundation’s U.S.-based charitable cataract surgery program. Its mission is to assist uninsured or underinsured American patients unable to obtain cataract care on their own. With the help of other established charitable organizations and ASCRS-member volunteer surgeons, Operation Sight is able to provide free surgery to those in need.