Restoring Vision, Changing Lives

“Ophthalmology was something that fell in my lap. I saw a cataract surgery and it was the most amazing surgery I’d ever seen.”

Dr. Capoor points to the pupil on an eyeball anatomy chart.
“Ophthalmology is very, very gratifying.”

Dr. Seema Capoor considered only two career paths growing up: architect, or physician. In the end, she was drawn to ophthalmology, the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. Dr. Capoor is now a physician, surgeon and associate professor in cornea and external diseases in the Department of Ophthalmology at UK HealthCare. She specializes in corneas, or as she likes to say “the window of the eye”.

A close up of several award plaques Dr. Capoor has earned.
“That's what keeps me coming back to work every day, just being able to help keep people seeing.”

Being able to change a life by restoring or improving a person’s vision is one of the things that Dr. Capoor finds most gratifying in her work. “Vision is one of our most important senses. A lot of our patients will say they might not miss any other sense of the five senses as much as they would miss their vision if they didn’t have it.”

Dr. Capoor looks through a slit lamp.
“From a vision standpoint, it's just leaps and bounds better than what we were able to offer even 50 years ago.”

The field of ophthalmology is evolving rapidly. Dr. Capoor has seen advances over her twenty-year career that would have been unimaginable when she started. A simple cataract surgery used to involve admitting a patient for ten days, requiring a long recovery period with sandbags over their eyes. Now, it’s an outpatient procedure that takes about 12 minutes. The patient is able to go home with better vision right away.

Dr. Capoor prepares for surgery with her hair net and face mask on in front of an operating table lamp.
Dr. Capoor’s signature surgical cap is a keepsake from her trip to Guatemala.

Dr. Capoor’s teaching and practice don’t stop at UK HealthCare. Raised in India and educated in England, she always wanted to practice internationally. When a former trainee contacted her about a medical mission trip to Guatemala, Dr. Capoor traveled to serve as a much-needed corneal specialist. 

Dr. Capoor looks through a slit lamp into a patient's eyes.
Dr. Capoor describes corneal transplants--her speciality--as “a really dramatic difference.”

During her time in Guatemala, Dr. Capoor performed numerous procedures, including corneal transplants and cataract surgeries. She also offered expert advice to local doctors and followed-up on previous surgeries. For her, the trip confirmed the need for eyecare all over the world. And when faced with the challenge of working with different equipment and limited resources, she saw it as an opportunity to improve her skills.

Dr. Capoor stands in a dim operating room with a light shining on her.
“I never thought of myself as a teacher, but I love that aspect of my job now.”

“It made me a better clinician and, to some extent, a better surgeon. Knowing that I was able to perform the same procedures I do herewith limited resources theremade me feel good about bringing those skills back to be able to offer them here, to patients and students alike.”

Dr. Capoor smiles in one of her vision examination rooms.
“I'm certainly fortunate to be practicing at this time and bring that excitement to my work every day.”

Learn more about the work of physicians like Dr. Capoor

UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care.

Donald Young, an elderly white man, stands in an outdoor setting under a tree. He is wearing a black ivy hat with black-framed spectacles and a brown coat.