Nik Hopkins, MD, was a medical student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center when the Hamilton Eye Institute hosted the first Ivan Marais Cataract‑A‑Thon in 2017. Since then, he had hoped to do his part to provide free, vision-restoring surgeries to people in need.
“I was amazed at how many people of different medical backgrounds came together to put on such a life-changing event,” Dr. Hopkins said. “Now, I am grateful to be able to help my community in this profound way.”
Dr. Hopkins, a fourth-year resident at Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI), was the leader of the eighth-annual Cataract-A-Thon, held Saturday, June 14. Volunteer medical teams performed $60,000 worth of free cataracts surgeries for 20 individuals who lack the insurance or financial means to receive care. The initiative reflects UT Health Science Center’s ongoing mission to improve the health of people in Tennessee and the region, especially for those most in need.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that access to care is greatly limited to many people in our community, and they often go much longer without receiving treatment. The Cataract-A-Thon is an effort to help eliminate this disparity,” Dr. Hopkins said. “It is a privilege to be able to essentially cure such a debilitating problem.”
The Cataract‑A‑Thon was founded in honor of the late Ivan Marais, MD, an ophthalmologist and cataract surgery innovator at UT Health Science Center. Since 2017, the event has restored sight to more than 200 patients. Brian Fowler, MD, vice chair of education and residency program director in the Department of Ophthalmology, and Emily Taylor Graves, MD, FACS, a cataract and refractive surgeon at Rayner Eye Clinic, developed and help coordinate the annual event.
Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness worldwide, but the condition is highly treatable with surgery. The Cataract-A-Thon aims to restore not just vision, but also independence and quality of life for patients who might not otherwise have access to care.
“Vision impacts a person’s ability to care for themselves, have an occupation, and interact with others,” Dr. Hopkins said. “A unique part of cataract surgery is that, although it is very technically challenging, it is a surgery that can be done quickly. This allows us to help a greater number of people and is another reason the Cataract-A-Thon is such a great event. Nothing compares to the reactions of the patients when they experience their new vision.”
The patients who received the surgeries were examined at an earlier date to determine they were good candidates for the procedure. The HEI Lions Club and Church Health assisted in identifying the patients from the Mid-South region. The Lions Club provides financial support for the Cataract-A-Thon and other outreach through fundraisers including an annual 5K run.
Additional support that made the event possible came from Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Alcon, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Dutch Ophthalmic, Imprimis, Rayner Eye Clinic, and World Cataract Foundation.
View the slideshow below for more sights from the 2025 Cataract-A-Thon.
