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In the province of Gansu in northwest China, residents don't hear the word "yee-sen" much. It's Mandarin for doctor. But on July 17, that changed, thanks to doctors such as Ronald Krueger, who left his ophthalmology practice at Saint Louis University Eye Institute and traveled to China, where he was the only doctor in the province to perform cornea transplants.
Gansu's capital is Lanzhou, a city that Krueger compares to St. Louis. It has a population of 2.5 million, is situated on the Yellow River, one of that nation's largest, and is considered the "Gateway to the Northwest." But unlike St. Louis, Lanzhou and Gansu are deprived of expert medical care.
"I get a sense of mission," said Krueger, associate professor of ophthalmology at the School of Medicine. "All the doctors who make this journey have a sense of purpose and a sense of contribution to the greater scheme of things. I'm most excited because I'm able to do and teach my specialty. I'm the only doctor performing cornea transplants. And people come out of the woodwork when they hear the doctors are coming."
Krueger took with him several donated corneas for transplantation. All of his services are donated, too. He will leave behind his expertise by teaching doctors in China how to perform a cornea transplant. If that wasn't enough, he is working with the health bureau in China to set up the first regional eye bank in the Gansu province.
"This is groundbreaking territory," Krueger said. "Right now, the Chinese are very open to new technology, ideas and training that the Western world can provide."
Krueger will return Aug. 9. Approximately 10 doctors from the United States will make the journey over a four-month period. Other specialists recruited include retina, glaucoma and an eye plastic surgeon, along with Krueger's cornea expertise. They will perform as many as 500 cataract surgeries while traveling the rural countryside of Gansu. The humanitarian effort is sponsored by Gansu Inc., a non-profit Christian organization.
"I see this as something God introduced into my life for a reason," Krueger said. "It is a sense of calling, and if God wants me to do this, I'm the first to jump in and say I'm ready."
And although Krueger doesn't speak Mandarin, he's probably learned one word quickly: "Yahn mu." It is a term of high respect.
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