Two Valley residents receive free cataract surgeries

BOARDMAN — Walter “Bud” Gane, 79, and Carroll Merriman, 64, have each worn eyeglasses for about 30 years, but in a few weeks that long-standing necessity will be a thing of the past.

Gane, of Youngstown, and Merriman, of East Liverpool, were two of 100 people across the country to undergo surgery last week to implant the crystalens intraocular lenses for cataracts.

Drs. Kong T. Oh and Tac Z. Lee of Oh Eye Associates performed the surgeries on the two Valley residents at Southwoods Surgery Center. The program, Changing 100 Lives in 100 Minutes, was sponsored by Bausch Lomb, which manufactures the crystalens intraocular lenses. The company donated the lenses, which generally aren’t covered by private insurance or Medicare.

A lens was implanted in one eye of each patient. They will return at a later date for surgery on their other eyes.

“It will take a couple of weeks, but then I won’t need glasses anymore,” Gane said.

The ophthalmologists performed the surgeries free.

Gane, who started wearing glasses in his early 50s, didn’t know he had cataracts until a recent visit to the eye doctor.

“I thought I needed new glasses,” he said. “I was having trouble reading The Vindicator and doing the crossword puzzle.”

The doctor informed him that he didn’t need new glasses; he needed the cataracts removed.

“I don’t know why he picked me, but I’m sure glad he did,” Gane said.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com. Also, view an accompanying video with the story on Vindy.com.