Congrats Dr. G!

To help you decide if Lasik could be the best option for you, WalletPop compared the costs and sight improvements of laser eye surgery vs. a lifetime of contacts and glasses, and asked some experts to shine a light on the procedure. Check out the video below or for the full article, click here.
 

Our very own Randy Burks, MD, FACS has been elected as “Humanitarian of the Year” for 2011 by the Broward County Caducean Society. Dr. Burks has been awarded the Wilbur F. Helmus award, given by the Caducean Society of Ft. Lauderdale, to a citizen who embodies the ideals and aspirations of a true humanitarian. Dr. Burks was chosen because of his continued efforts to help treat blindness from cataracts both abroad and here at home. He has led over 13 expeditions into impoverished areas of Central and South America to operate on blind patients in need of cataract surgery. His team transports a complete, state-of-the-art, operating theater into areas like the Amazon Jungle in Peru where, in a week’s time, they will operate on over 100 patients, returning sight to those who don’t even have access to basic medical care.

More recently he has turned his sights on those stricken by poverty in our own country. “Since the economic downturn in the United States, many of our own citizens cannot afford or obtain needed medical care,” said Burks. He and Dr. Gailitis have teamed up with the Caridad Clinic in Boynton Beach, FL to assist in operating on needy citizens of our own community. These needy citizens, blinded by cataracts, can have needed surgery, at no charge to them, and return to be productive members of their families again. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Burks on the award and applaud both of our doctors on their efforts to fight blindness from cataracts here at home.

Dr. Randy Burks
Dr. Ray Gailitis

Una Bailey used to work caring for patients in their homes, driving them to the store and to appointments. One year ago her vision became so blurry from cataracts that she could no longer see.  Now Una is paying someone to help her around the house.  “I used to cook for the family and now my sight is so poor I cannot see to read the recipes or tell what temperature the oven is at.”

Both Guillermo and Una feel like they have been born again!  “My life and freedom are back” says Una. “The street signs are so clear”, said Guillermo.  “I am applying for part time work now to help my family.”  My domino buddies better look out because I am back.” 

What happened to Guillermo and Una is a true miracle if you ask them.  Both Guillermo and Una, along with 15 other needy South Floridians, were fortunate enough to have their vision restored in Broward County’s first Thanksgiving Day of Sight. Seeing is Believing, is a project of community service for un-insured needy citizens with blindness from cataracts. Patients obtain state-of-the-art surgical restoration of their vision. 

The project is headed by Randy Burks, MD, and Raymond Gailitis, MD, ophthalmologists from Margate.  Burks is a veteran charity surgeon.  He has led expeditions into El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, and the Amazon Jungle of Brazil to help blind people see again.  Dr. Gailitis has participated in project Orbis, assisting patients in Eastern Europe.  Both physicians teach foreign doctors during these expeditions.  In this way the local eye specialists can learn techniques and assist their own needy citizens. 

In developing nations, persons affected with blindness become a burden to their families and their community.  They cannot work or help provide for their large, extended families.  “If we can restore vision to these people we help the whole family and the community,” said Burks.  “When we teach the local surgeons to perform these procedures, the giving can continue through them.”

Dr.’s Burks and Gailitis were planning their next expedition when the recession hit and they saw first hand how the loss of a job and health coverage can affect people.  They came to the conclusion that their efforts to restore sight to people blinded by cataracts this year should be right here at home.  As Gailitis said, “The insured get care and truly indigent patients can obtain care through Medicaid.  There is a very large segment of the population though, whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to buy health insurance.  These people slip through the cracks in our healthcare system.”

The doctors teamed up with the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach and The Broward Health Care Center in Ft. Lauderdale.  Both centers see and treat un-insured patients with all types of medical conditions.  Through the center’s volunteer ophthalmologists, Lou Feldgoise, MD, Andrew Logan, MD, and Jacqueline Smith, MD, needy patients were screened and forwarded for surgical care. 

The Outpatient Surgical Center at Coral Springs, a Healthcare Corporation of America (HCA) surgical center, generously provided the facility and supplies, at no cost to the patients.  Jeff Rosenberg, the center’s director and Rena Corte, HCA’s South Florida’s Director of Outpatient Surgical Centers both said they could not resist the opportunity to help the needy citizens of Broward and South Palm Beach. “We are committed to delivering quality surgical care to all patients.  To be able to help our physicians give this kind help to the needy in our community is an honor.”  Our entire staff volunteered to help by coming in on Saturday without pay and assisted the surgeons performing these life altering surgeries.  Bill Weisberg, MD, the center’s Medical director, led the team supporting the surgeons.

Playing dominoes, reading and cooking again are just some added bonuses for the patients touched by Burks and Gailitis and their team of volunteers.  “I was able to see my granddaughter’s face for the first time” said Una.  “My world has been opened up and it is fantastic!”

Happy New Year!!!
Ophthalmology Consultants, The Center for LASIK

Hard Hat Gals

Our Welcoming Entry

Doctors Meeting in the Patient Lounge

Testing Area

Dr. Burks in a New Exam Room

Illiana in the Counseling Office

Our New Check Out

Dr. Randy Burks of Ophthalmology Consultants in Margate has led expeditions into impoverished areas of Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Jamaica to help victims of blinding cataracts.  But this year, he is keeping his team right here at home.  “Many members of our own community suffer from sight-distorting cataracts and either don’t make enough money to buy health insurance or make too much to qualify for Medicaid”, says Dr. Burks.  So he and his partner, Dr. Ray Gailitis, are donating their time and expertise to perform free, sight restoring cataract eye surgery to uninsured working Americans during the Thanksgiving holidays. 

“Cataracts cause a cloudiness to develop in the otherwise clear crystalline lens of the eye, deteriorating to blindness, over time.  Patients, who could otherwise be productive members of their families and society become a burden when cataracts disable them.  By performing modern cataract surgery, we are able to return vision to those who, because they have no health insurance, could never afford this kind of care,” continues Burks.  “After a quick recovery these patients return to work and become productive once again.”  

Dr. Burks teamed up with the Caridad Outreach Health Center of Boynton Beach and the HCA Outpatient Surgical Center at Coral Springs.   The HCA is a state-of-the-art, multi-specialty, outpatient surgical facility; and the Caridad Center provides free, quality, medical care to low-income and uninsured individuals who live and work in South Florida.  “We are excited and grateful that our technicians and support staff have volunteered their time right alongside us for the opportunity to give the gift of sight to South Floridians,” says Dr. Gailitis.

I perform the ICL implant procedure at an outpatient facility not far from our office and it takes about an hour to treat both eyes. The amazing thing about this procedure is the rapidity of vision recovery. I treated a patient several weeks ago who was legally blind and was able to drive without glasses the very same day!

Only a small percentage of eye surgeons are trained in ICL implantation. I am pleased to say that I offer this at the Center For LASIK. For more information, please visit our website or the STAAR Visian ICL site.

To find out if you can have ICLs, please call to arrange a complimentary consultation with me.

Raymond P. Gailitis, MD, FACS

Each year, the lives of elderly patients in developing countries are catastrophically impacted when they lose their sight. In Peru, indigent farmers who otherwise contribute to family and community become a burden as cataracts blind them.

This combination of poverty and subpar medical care, leads to a vast number of people that are disabled by cataracts, a condition that is easily correctible in the United States. Randy Burks, MD decided to help. Burks volunteers with the South Florida chapter of Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE), a non-profit humanitarian organization based in Santa Barbara, CA. SEE asked Burks to lead a 12-day expedition to Huamachuco, Peru, to perform cataract surgery on indigent patients. He led a team (which included three other surgeons, his 17-year-old daughter Erica, and Karen, his surgical technician) to a remote village in the Andes mountains.  

“By performing modern cataract surgery – removing the cloudy natural lens and implanting a new clear lens – we are able to return vision to those who generally don’t even have access to basic medical care,” said Burks. “I’ve led 12 surgical missions to Central & South America in the past, to such places as Ecuador, El Salvador and Mexico. But having my daughter participate on this trip as a technician assisting the surgical team made it even more special. What an experience for her and for all of us!” said Burks.

The team completed 100 surgical procedures. After a quick recovery these patients return to work, becoming productive once again. Additionally, the surgeon’s taught local Peruvian doctors the techniques they need to help many more indigent patients throughout their country. Putting together the air transport of modern surgical instruments and equipment was a huge undertaking, requiring a cohesive surgical team and support personnel who gave their time selflessly. Local hospitals and national medical supply companies donated all equipment and supplies.