EyeWorld India June 2015 Issue

70 EWAP NEWS & OPINION June 2015 by David F. Chang, MD, Paul Honan, MD, Tom Mazzocco, MD, Kenneth J. Hoffer, MD, and Eric Donnenfeld, MD Paying tribute… I n the space of a few weeks, ophthalmology recently lost three of its most venerated giants in the fields of cataract and refractive surgery. Richard “Dick” Kratz, MD , Norman Jaffe, MD , and George Waring III, MD , were each surgical pioneers and key figures in the advancement and adoption of phaco, IOL, and keratorefractive surgery. Imagine a time when most ophthalmologists thought that phaco was a treacherous technology that was far more likely to cause corneal decompensation than manual ECCE. Dr. Kratz introduced two key concepts that not only saved phaco, but paved the way for it to become the leading technique. The first concept was performing nuclear emulsification in the iris plane— equidistant from the cornea and the posterior capsule. The second was to use a second hand instrument to maneuver the nucleus. Imagine a time when most ophthalmologists thought it sacrilegious to implant an IOL into the eye. Dr. Jaffe was one of the very first American ophthalmologists to implant an IOL (1967). To quote the late Herve Byron, MD, “American implant surgery was born in Miami because of two factors: (1) Norman Jaffe was the ideal surgeon with the perfect personality to withstand the severe criticism by his colleagues; and (2) the chief of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was Ed Norton, MD, the perfect academician to maintain an open mind about the possible benefits to all patients suffering from the disease known as aphakia.” Facing objections from both sides, Drs. Jaffe and Norton led a national study to assess the safety of this controversial device. Imagine a time when most ophthalmologists thought that it was heretical to operate on a healthy eye to reduce myopia. Like Dr. Jaffe, Dr. Waring headed a national landmark study to prospectively evaluate the safety of radial keratotomy (PERK). As with the IOL study, ardent criticism also came from RK proponents who objected to the self-imposed moratorium on performing RK until the study was completed. Both of these landmark studies ultimately provided evidence reassuring enough to allow IOL and keratorefractive surgery to further evolve and improve. Drs. Kratz, Jaffe, and Waring were cutting-edge surgeons who were well respected and trusted within the academic community. This balance of clinical expertise and scientific credibility made them ideal leaders to steer ophthalmology out of these polarizing controversies. Thanks to their courage, conviction, and leadership, phaco, IOLs, and refractive surgery not only gained acceptance, but now rank among our profession’s most impactful achievements. To honor these three remarkable luminaries, EyeWorld has invited several of their colleagues and friends to share their thoughts and memories [Due to publishing constraints, read the doctors’ full remembrances in the March 2015 issue of our sister journal, the U.S.-based EyeWorld magazine, in print or online at digital.eyeworld. org. – Ed.] . We thank Paul Honan, MD , and Tom Mazzocco, MD, Kenneth Hoffer, MD , and Eric Donnenfeld, MD , for writing the lead tributes. To Richard “Dick” P. Kratz, MD by Paul Honan, M D, and TomMazzocco, MD R ichard “Dick” P. Kratz, MD , a world renowned and revered ophthalmologist, passed away 16 February at the age of 95. A native Californian, he informed his physician mother when he was just 4 years old that he wanted to become an eye specialist when he grew up. He received a BA degree from Occidental College in 1942 and an MD degree from the University of Southern California in 1946. He was chief of ophthalmology and ENT in the U.S. Army General Hospital in Tokyo, Japan and finished that post in 1947. His patients included Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his family. He smiled with pleasure when he related that his intense desire to return home was facilitated by his Army General giving him orders to care for and accompany a soldier with a severe eye injury on a plane across the Pacific to a hospital in California. Dr. Kratz received a diploma in ophthalmology and surgery course at Moorfields Hospital in London in 1948, where he studied under Harold Ridley, MD, and Stewart Duke-Elder, MD, PhD, with Peter Choyce, MD, as a classmate. He finished his residency in ophthalmology and ENT at Duke in 1951 with classmates Robert Sinskey, MD, and Robert Welsh, MD. Following his training, Dr. Kratz entered into practice in Beverly Hills, Calif., with John Lordan, MD. Shortly after that, he moved to Van Nuys, Calif., where he practiced for nearly three decades. Patient care was extremely important to Dr. Kratz, and he spent much time with each patient and often worked into the evening hours. He had the ability to perform even the most intricate maneuvers with ease. Although he was known primarily for his work with cataracts and implants, he also did excellent work in strabismus and corneal surgery. Dr. Kratz was a member of 15 professional societies and a founding member of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists (CLAO), the Joint Commission of Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO), and the National Ophthalmological Society. He served as president, chairman, or board member of several societies and received numerous awards and gave many honorary lectures. He was admitted into the ASCRS Hall of Fame in 2013.