Eyes On Tomorrow

Happy Birthday Intraocular Lens Implants!

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Episode notes

Shrouded in secrecy, 75 years ago, Sir Harold Ridley's first IOL implantations ignited political fall-out amongst the ophthalmological establishment. They led to decades of trial and error experimentation, during which a multitude of IOL designs were implanted, often at a terrible cost to the patient.

Today we are celebrating that first implantation, back on 29th November 1949.

We are joined by Larry Benjamin one of the UKs leading cataract surgeons and surgical trainers, who takes us on a fascinating journey charting the evolution of cataract surgery from antiquity to the present day. Larry also talks about the equally bumpy evolution of phacoemulsification surgery, championed by the flamboyant Charles Kelman.

Despite the many setbacks, and often personal cost, these pioneering surgeons were undeterred and we have them to thank for helping to create one of the world’s safest and most transformational operations, which has restored the vision of millions of patients around the world.

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Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

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