Dr. Murtaza Adam Returns to Guyana for Second Surgical Mission
Dr. Murtaza Adam of Colorado Retina recently returned to Guyana for his second surgical mission, continuing his collaboration with Dr. Arlene Bobb-Semple, Guyana’s only practicing vitreoretinal surgeon, at Georgetown Public Hospital.
Building on his first visit in 2025, which focused on visualization during vitrectomy and macular surgery, Dr. Adam returned to help further develop advanced surgical skills, including techniques for secondary scleral-fixated intraocular lenses.
During the mission, Drs. Adam and Bobb-Semple also treated a woman who had lost vision in both eyes due to complications from diabetes and relied on her 80-year-old mother for full-time care. After determining that vision in one eye could potentially be restored, the pair performed surgery that successfully restored ambulatory vision, providing greater independence for both the patient and her mother.
Their work together is also expanding beyond the operating room. Drs. Adam and Bobb-Semple are now focused on improving screening and treatment for premature babies in Guyana, collaborating with RCA physician and pediatric retina surgeon Dr. Armie Harper to launch a telemedicine-based retinopathy of prematurity screening program.
The partnership between Drs. Adam and Bobb-Semple began through an RCA International Retina Tele-Mentorship group and has grown through ongoing virtual mentorship and hands-on surgical collaboration. Their work demonstrates how sharing expertise across borders can build local capabilities and expand access to specialized retina care.
Watch their impact in action
See how Dr. Adam and Dr. Bobb-Semple worked together to perform a life-changing surgery, restoring vision for a patient who had lived with severely impaired sight for three years.
