US surgeons provide specialized eye care to wounded Ukrainian soldiers

A team of US surgeons is working in Kyiv to treat complex eye and facial injuries sustained by soldiers and civilians during the war in Ukraine. The specialists are performing advanced oculoplastic surgeries, such as rebuilding damaged eye sockets and fitting artificial eyes, while simultaneously training local Ukrainian doctors in these specialized techniques.

Before the 2022 invasion, ophthalmic expertise in many Ukrainian hospitals was largely limited to basic procedures like cataract surgery. The current influx of specialized medical assistance aims to address the scarcity of experts capable of repairing devastating war-related injuries.

One such patient is Mykola Kasiuk, a former military cook who lost an eye after stepping on a land mine in the Donetsk region. Despite local medical recommendations to remove his remaining eye, Kasiuk underwent surgery with the visiting US team in hopes of regaining some level of vision to see his children.