‘Father of phaco’ honored in spotlight session

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Charles D. Kelman, MD, railed against traditional thought and fought the skepticism and opposition of the ophthalmic establishment in the 1960s and ’70s to bring modern cataract surgery to ophthalmology. With his invention of ultrasound phacoemulsification, he asserted, surgeons could remove a cataract from the capsular bag, rather than through an intracapsular or extracapsular extraction.

Dr. Kelman’s once-revolutionary idea is now part of the ophthalmic mainstream, and he was honored at a spotlight session here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. Dr. Kelman, along with friends and colleagues, recounted his triumphs and tribulations in the days before phacoemulsification.

“My patients were spending 7 to 10 days in the hospital recovering from cataract surgery. I wanted to reduce their recovery times, and I was sure that I could find a way to do it,” Dr. Kelman told attendees. After 30 months of failed approaches, Dr. Kelman was struck by the idea of using ultrasound while getting his teeth cleaned at the dentist’s office.

He designed the first ultrasound phacoemulsifier in 1972 and spent the next 10 years defending the technology, until the early 1980s, when the advent of the foldable IOL propelled phaco into the mainstream of ophthalmology.

Leaders in early and current phaco surgery, including Richard P. Kratz, MD, Robert H. Osher, MD, and Samuel Masket, MD, applauded Dr. Kelman for his feats. Manus C. Kraff, MD, recounted tales of Dr. Kelman’s days as a jazz musician, warning attendees to “beware of a skinny kid with a saxophone. He just might change your life.”

In regard to the next big step in cataract surgery, Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, described for attendees the use of microincision IOLs and bimanual phacoemulsification.

“In continuing with Dr. Kelman’s vision of innovation in cataract surgery, we must recognize, as surgeons, the need for better outcomes, quicker surgical times and smaller incisions,” Dr. Lindstrom said.

In addition to being recognized as a spotlight surgeon, Dr. Kelman was honored as one of this year’s Laureates of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, along with Robert Machemer, MD, and Charles L. Schepens, MD.