Ophthalmic community remembers pioneer of IOL implantation

Edward Epstein, MD, an early IOL innovator, died in his South Africa home at age 95.

Issue: January 1, 2007

ByErin L. Boyle

Edward Epstein, MD, a founding member of the Intra-Ocular Implant Club and pioneer in IOL design, died at his home in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was 95.

Dr. Epstein is perhaps best known for his modification of the Ridley lens. He successfully reduced the size and thickness of the lens, which previously had been the same size as the normal crystalline lens, while maintaining its refractive and optical qualities.

In a written tribute, Michael J. Roper-Hall, FRCS, said Dr. Epstein’s contributions made lens insertion substantially easier and reduced the likelihood of dislocation.

Dr. Epstein was instrumental in the development of the first successful hydrophilic acrylic posterior chamber lens (see related sidebar).

Edward “Teddy” Epstein, MD, upon receiving the IIIC Medal Lecture Award in Capetown, South Africa, in 2001.

Image reprinted courtesy of the International Intra-ocular Implant Club.

He assisted many doctors in modifying lenses, including Svyatoslav Fyodorov, MD. He also designed a Maltese Cross lens for pupil fixation at the same time that Cornelius Binkhorst, MD, developed his pupil fixation lens. Epstein’s design was adopted as the Copeland lens in the U.S., according to Dr. Roper-Hall.

Dr. Epstein worked in surgery until the age of 82 and stopped seeing patients at 83, according to his wife of 31 years, Ghita. Mrs. Epstein said her husband, who published 36 original papers on ophthalmology, enjoyed helping other surgeons perfect their discoveries and techniques.

“He worked very hard. He had an interest in everything, and he was happy to help everyone,” Mrs. Epstein said in a telephone interview with Ocular Surgery News. “He was very bright, he was brilliant, he was astute.”

Dr. Epstein’s other contributions to ophthalmology include developing the use of a monocular ophthalmoscope to remove nonmagnetic foreign bodies; researching the use of ultrasound to determine axial length in calculating IOL power, and describing a new concept regarding the insertion of the levator aponeurosis.

Dr. Epstein, who was born in England in 1911 and moved to South Africa with his family as a child, served in the British Army during World War II.

After returning to South Africa following his service, Dr. Epstein set up ophthalmic practice. He performed surgery and research in the country during the apartheid era, caring for political prisoners and members of Nelson Mandela’s family.

Dr. Epstein loved travel, golf, medicine and deep-sea fishing, according to Mrs. Epstein and those who knew him well.

For more information:

Michael J. Roper-Hall, FRCS, can be reached at 38 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England B15 3HE; e-mail: roperhallm@aol.com.

Condolences may be sent to: Ghita Epstein, P.O. Box 87112, Houghton, Johannesburg 2041, South Africa, or lindstro@rconnect.com, where they will be compiled and possibly published in the International Intra-ocular Implant Club newsletter.

Erin L. Boyle is an OSN Staff Writer who covers all aspects of ophthalmology.

Epstein's influence is still felt today

Edward “Teddy” Epstein, a contemporary of Ridley, Choyce and Binkhorst, who predeceased him, was founding member of International Intra-ocular Implant Club and a true pioneer in the field of intraocular lens implantation.

His first implant design evolved into the Copeland IOL in the United States, which for a time was very popular after intracapsular cataract extraction.

For me, his most original work focused on the development of the earliest successful hydrophyllic acrylic (hydrogel) posterior chamber lens implants that were utilized after extracapsular cataract extraction.

This work intrigued many, and he attracted visits from surgeons throughout the world including Michael Blumenthal, MD, Svyatoslav Fyodorov, MD, Graham Barrett, FRACO, FRACS, and myself.

He shared his experience and ideas openly and we were all impressed enough to start independent research efforts to develop commercially available hydrophilic acrylic IOLs.

Continuing evolution of work in this field has now led to a family of hydrophilic posterior chamber IOLs, which have been used successfully in nearly 3 million patients around the world. Among these IOLs is one manufactured by Rayner, which made Ridley’s original lens implant.

Like Ridley, Dr. Epstein persevered in his work on implantology in the face of significant antagonism from his colleagues and was appropriately honored only in his later years of life. It was a pleasure and honor to know him personally and to be present when he was awarded the IIIC medal. His work and gentlemanly style influenced me greatly.

— Richard L. Lindstrom, MD
OSN Chief Medical Editor