Camilo Cienfuegos International Retinitis Pigmentosa Center

Opened on June 20, 1992, though exclusively for the treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa at the beginning, the Center currently functions as a general eye clinic with different consultation offices and ocular surgical procedures.

Dr. Obel Garcia Baez, the Center’s director and head of the Cuban Retinitis Pigmentosa Program covering 14 provincial centers and this international institution, told Excelencias that he was confident of Cuban medical services as providing the ground for the gradual development of the country as a health tourism destination. “This very institution, which has worked in the field for 19 years now, is an example of such capabilities,” he said, while revealing that up to the present people from 104 countries have received treatment in the clinic, “almost 12,000 patients have been admitted with one accompanying person each, which doubles the figure; plus 3,000 outpatients.” For this, in addition to personalized consultation, cutting-edge equipment, the highest technology existing worldwide in the ocular specialty and first-class professionals, the hospital has 62 rooms and the supporting services needed to ensure “excellent services” which go from picking up patients and accompanying persons at the airport upon arriving in Cuba to taking them to the air terminal after completing the 21-day treatment, in the case of first-time Retinitis Pigmentosa cases.” The hospital has expanded its services to other eye pathologies like: Refractive surgery with Excimer Lasers (for Myopia, Hypermetropia and Astigmatism), Glaucoma, Cataracts, Cornea, Oculoplasty, Strabismus and Retina. Likewise, other specialties have been included for the integral patient checkup, such as Internal Medicine, Orthopedics, Gynecology, Odontology, Maxillofacial, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology and Clinical Genetics.

Eye Surgery Services offered by the Center are: • Cuban treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa (revitalizing surgery) • Excimer Laser Refractive Surgery for myopia, Hypermetropia and Astigmatism. • Faco refractive surgery for high myopia and Hypermetropia (Phakic intraocular lens implant). • Cornea surgery (Penetrating and lamellar keratoplasty and Intrastromal ring implants, Intacs and Ferrara). • Pterygium surgery (simple exeresis and with conjunctival autograft). • Limbic cell graft. • Amniotic membrane graft. • Cataract surgery (intraocular lens implant). • Chronic glaucoma surgery (trabeculectomy, laser iridotomy). • Strabismus surgery on horizontal muscles. • Nystagmus surgery. • Eyelid Ptosis plastic surgery. • Entropion surgery. • Ectropion surgery. • Surgery on atypical cavities with skin autograft. • Orbital implant with coral hydroxyapatite. • Eyelid reconstructive surgery.

Calle L No. 151, e/ Línea y 13, Vedado, Havana, Cuba. Tel: (53 7) 832 5555, 832 3507, 835 1212. Fax: (53 7) 833 3578 833 3536 Email: comercial@retina.sld.cu cirpcc@infomed.sld.cu www.retina.sld.cu