US Surgeons Train Ukrainian Doctors to Treat War-Injured Eyes

A team of U.S. surgeons is in Kyiv, Ukraine, not only to treat soldiers with devastating war-related eye injuries but also to train local doctors in advanced oculoplastic surgery. The initiative, organized by the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine, seeks to bolster the country's capacity to handle complex cases that have become more common since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Among those receiving care is Mykola Kasiuk, a Ukrainian soldier who lost an eye and sustained severe injuries to his other eye when a land mine exploded in eastern Ukraine. Kasiuk, who was a cook before the war, was on the front lines when the incident occurred in April 2024. His immediate hope is to regain enough vision to see his children again.

Before the invasion, ophthalmic expertise in many Ukrainian hospitals was limited to basic procedures. The current conflict has created a surge in severe eye and facial injuries, overwhelming existing medical resources. The U.S. surgeons are working to reconstruct damaged eye sockets, repair eyelids, and fit artificial eyes, while simultaneously transferring their specialized skills to Ukrainian medical professionals.

Kasiuk had been told by local doctors that his remaining vision was lost and recommended removing his eye. He refused, seeking out the visiting U.S. surgical team as a last resort. He described the brutality of the fighting in the Donetsk region, recounting the loss of fellow soldiers and the destruction of the landscape before the explosion.

His wife, Tetyana, described the initial shock of seeing him after the injury, with his face swollen and covered in shrapnel wounds. Doctors confirmed one eye was lost to shrapnel, and the other showed signs of optic nerve damage. Kasiuk has undergone multiple operations with little improvement and has been learning to adapt to his near-blindness.

During Kasiuk's surgery, an air-raid alert momentarily halted the procedure. The team resumed after the alert passed, but the operation coincided with major Russian strikes in Kyiv, including an attack on a medical facility. Tetyana, waiting for news in western Ukraine, expressed the toll the war has taken on their family, noting her husband now lives in a different world and that the trauma has affected their three children.

Surgeons reported that Kasiuk's operation yielded a better-than-expected outcome. They were able to restore movement in his eye and used skin grafts to help his eyelid protect it, opening the possibility for a future corneal transplant. However, uncertainty remains regarding whether Kasiuk will regain significant vision, as scarring on the cornea and potential deeper damage within the eye could still impede sight. Doctors plan to monitor his healing for up to six months before considering further interventions, such as stem cell therapy or an artificial cornea.

Despite the uncertain prognosis, Kasiuk remains optimistic, holding onto memories of the world's appearance and the hope of seeing it again, even partially.