At Press Time

Oliver Foot, President of ORBIS

He Was Committed to Bringing Eye Care to the Developing Countries of the World.

By Jerry Helzner, Senior Editor

■ Oliver Foot, president of the global volunteer eyecare organization ORBIS International, has died in London at the age of 61.

Active with ORBIS since its founding 25 years ago, Foot played a critical role in its development, fully devoting himself to its mission to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide. He led the ORBIS team of volunteer doctors, nurses and aviators who flew to nearly 80 developing countries aboard the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital, a specially equipped aircraft with state-of-the-art ophthalmic surgical and training facilities.

"There are no words I can write to adequately measure Olivers's immense contribution to the growth and mission of ORBIS International. He touched the lives of so many with his enthusiasm, humor, friendship and spirit. He will always be fondly remembered for his humanitarianism, steadfast principles, vision, integrity, knowledge and understanding," said ORBIS Chairman Al Ueltschi. "Oliver's dedication to reducing human suffering caused by blindness was reflected in his work with ORBIS, an organization that transcends cultural, political and religious differences."

"Oliver's passing is of enormous import to ORBIS as an organization but also to a great many of us as individuals," added Geoffrey Holland, ORBIS executive director and chief executive officer. "He gave so much of himself and was such a kind and generous spirit that he was loved all over the world. He certainly meant a lot to me as a mentor, boss, friend and brother — and I cannot imagine feeling any loss more deeply. I hope that while mourning the loss of such a very special friend, we can all also celebrate his life and remember what a pleasure it has been to know him."

Oliver Foot headed ORBIS.

Foot led fundraising efforts that raised more than $200 million in North America, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Hong Kong to fund the humanitarian work of ORBIS. He often served as a catalyst, encouraging host governments and ministers of health to direct their influence to enhance and support national eyecare services and policies in their countries. Under his leadership, ORBIS has been endorsed by 70 world leaders, including three secretaries-general of the United Nations and many heads of state.

Foot is survived by his wife, Gail; two children, Mary-Rachel and Jesse, and three grandchildren.

GIVING BACK: Utah Doctors Helping in Ghana

Dr. Alan Crandall Makes His Tenth Trip.

■ For the past 10 years, ophthalmologists from the University of Utah department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, have been traveling to Ghana, West Africa, to provide life-changing and often life-saving eye surgery. Their journeys take them to a country that has less than 50 ophthalmologists and a population of 22 million people.

Alan Crandall, M.D., Robert Hoffman, M.D., and Geoff Tabin, M.D. along with mission team members, made their latest trip to Ghana in March of last year. Their days often began with an eye clinic from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. followed by nonstop surgeries that continue until midnight. Over the years, they have helped more than 2,000 people improve or regain their sight.

"Most people in the United States who develop cataracts have them quickly removed and replaced with new lenses," says Dr. Crandall, on his tenth consecutive African mission. "In Ghana 750,000 people are waiting for cataract surgery and the majority of them are blind. It's an honor to have helped so many people in West Africa, yet we can only put a small dent in this problem. We believe the future of eye care services in developing countries lies in training ophthalmologists and other health care workers within the local community."

Dr. Crandall was recently named a recipient of a Utah Business 2007 Healthcare Heroes Award. He was given the award in the humanitarian category for his extensive efforts as a volunteer ophthalmologist in Ghana. Dr. Crandall, who focuses on the medical and surgical management of glaucoma and cataracts, also lectures all over the world and has been selected as one of the 50 international opinion leaders in ophthalmology.

Drs. Geoff Tabin (left) and Alan Crandall examine a patient in Ghana.

Dr. Tabin explains the need for establishing a sustainable eye care infrastructure in countries where medical care is scarce: "Individuals in Ghana develop blinding cataracts as a result of exposure to constant ultra violet light, toxins, and more — often at a young age. Without surgery, many lose their sight. It is common for the blind to be shunned as nonproductive members of society. Left to fend for themselves, they commonly die an early and tragic death as a result of starvation, disease and accidents. To people in this region, the miracle of modern cataract surgery means not only a restoration of sight, but also the gift of life."

Dr. Hoffman describes the role he played on the most recent mission. "My role was to teach the local ophthalmologists and residents what they needed to know to evaluate children's eyes and to treat common disorders that affect children's eyes such as strabismus, amblyopia, significant refractive error and retinoblastoma. We also dealt with issues pertinent to their local area, such as parasitic and infectious diseases. Another area of focus is on neonatal eye disease. We are bringing one of their ophthalmologists here for a visiting international fellowship as one more step in bringing quality eye care to the children of Ghana."

Team members of the Ghana mission donate their time and pay for their own travel and expenses. Donations of equipment and supplies are provided by the Moran Eye Center, The Eye Institute of Utah, Alcon, Allergan, Advanced Medical Optics, Bausch & Lomb, the Himalayan Cataract Project and Becton-Dickinson.

AMO Sees 2008 Slump in LASIK

Company Launches "iLASIK" Marketing Campaign.

■ Advanced Medical Optics (AMO), which had previously estimated that U.S. LASIK procedures would grow by 6% in 2008, now forecasts that slowing consumer spending will cause procedures to decline by 10% this year. AMO has built its presence in the laser vision correction marketplace in recent years with several major acquisitions, including excimer laser manufacturer VISX, femtosecond laser developer IntraLase and wavefront-mapping company Wavefront Sciences.

AMO also said it will cut 150 jobs to reduce the company's fixed costs. When fully implemented, the plan is expected to result in annual savings of $10 to $12 million.

In a marketing move designed to spur its laser vision correction business, AMO has launched nationwide a branded, all-custom laser vision correction procedure called "iLASIK." The company says the procedure is the first vision correction procedure designed to be 100% custom-fit from beginning to end.

According to a company news release, "the iLASIK procedure addresses the uniqueness of your two eyes — from the individual curvature of your corneas, to the microscopic nuances of your eye's anatomy — and is designed to deliver the exact correction you need to achieve 20/20 or better vision."

"The iLASIK procedure has been a decade in the making, with each new advancement furthering the next," says Kerry Solomon, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at the Medical University of South Carolina and an iLASIK patient. "With this unveiling, we've reached the final frontier. Quite honestly, there is nothing better on the horizon."

The iLASIK brand combines three AMO laser vision correction technologies — WaveScan mapping, the IntraLase flap-cutting femtosecond laser and the VISX Advanced CustomVue excimer laser — into one premium procedure.

"Prior to the iLASIK procedure, the burden was on the patient to research the best LASIK technologies, compare and contrast the clinical data of the various advancements, and then identify a physician who offered the particular combination of technologies the patient preferred," said Ron Bache, global vice president of marketing for AMO's refractive group. "The iLASIK brand removes the veil of confusion in LASIK advertising. Patients now can find all of the most advanced laser vision correction technologies available today under the banner of one premium procedure."