The Caris Foundation head and neck surgeries are led by James Netterville, MD, Professor of Otolaryngology and Director of the Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University and one of the world’s foremost head and neck surgeons. Dr. Netterville and his Vanderbilt-based team train and empower local medical personnel on many levels from sterilization and instrument care, nursing skills, pre and post-op care, surgery skills, and anesthesiology. Through a partnership with the Kenya Ear Nose and Throat Association our head and neck team train other African ENT surgeons. These surgeries are in partnership with the Tawfiq Hospital in Malindi, Kenya, who graciously hosts our surgeries.

• We have performed over 2,000 surgeries as of the year ending 2025.

For two decades, the Caris Foundation, in collaboration with Body & Soul Ministries, has worked to overcome a cataract crisis in North Sumatra, Indonesia. This region faces widespread preventable blindness, largely due to dietary factors, intense sun exposure, and limited access to healthcare. What began as humanitarian aid following the devastating 2004 tsunami evolved into a sustainable partnership delivering life-changing eye care, transforming countless lives and fostering stronger, more independent communities.

This unique, community-focused approach utilizes local Indonesian medical professionals to manage every aspect, from initial screenings to post-operative recovery, ensuring cultural relevance and empowering the local workforce. For a modest sum of $125-$150 per eye, these interventions swiftly restore vision, bringing back dignity, reuniting families, and revitalizing livelihoods. 

• Since 2005, this mission has completed over 12,500 cataract surgeries as of the year ending 2025.