American chef travels to Vietnam’s Quang Tri for sight-restoring surgery

Doctors at the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Dong Hoi Hospital in the province confirmed on Friday that they had successfully performed cataract surgery on Gregory Wayne Bishop, a long-time chef from Florida.

Bishop’s decision to cross continents for treatment came after his eyesight began deteriorating rapidly about a month ago.

A medical examination in Florida diagnosed him with cataracts complicated by severe myopia.

However, the earliest available surgery date in the United States was nine months away.

Facing the possibility of having to stop working, Bishop reached out to a Vietnamese doctor he had met years earlier during a trip by a group of Vietnamese doctors to Las Vegas.

The doctor, Tran Anh Duong, head of the ophthalmology department at the hospital, had remained in contact with him through social media.

“If I fly to Vietnam, will you operate on me?” Bishop messaged Duong.

“I can’t wait that long. I can barely see to drive, and I’ve even cut my hands while cooking."

Duong replied that the United States has some of the world’s most advanced surgical technology, but he would be ready to help if Bishop chose to come.

Bishop made his decision and boarded a trans-Pacific flight to Vietnam in mid-April.

Upon arrival, doctors assessed his condition as complex, involving severe myopia, cataracts, limited pupil dilation, and underlying Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin treatment.

Despite the challenges, the surgical team proceeded with phacoemulsification, a modern cataract removal technique, and reported a highly successful outcome.

Shortly after the operation, Bishop’s vision improved dramatically, reaching 9/10 in one eye and 10/10 in the other.

The cost difference was also striking.

In the United States, a similar procedure can exceed US$12,000.

In Vietnam, the total cost was under $3,000, even though Bishop received premium artificial lenses manufactured in the United States.

For Bishop, however, the experience went beyond medical success.

“I will always remember the doctors and nurses here,” he said.

“They took care of everything from meals to rest.

“When I was trembling on the operating table, a nurse held my hand and reassured me. That moment took away all my fear."