A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye which leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and trouble seeing at night. This may result in trouble driving, reading, or recognizing faces. Poor vision caused by cataracts may also result in an increased risk of falling and depression. Cataracts cause half of all cases of blindness and 33% of visual impairment worldwide.
Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intraocular lens. Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over time lead to the development of the cataract, causing impairment or loss of vision. Some infants are born with congenital cataracts, and certain environmental factors may also lead to cataract formation. Early symptoms may include strong glare from lights and small light sources at night, and reduced acuity at low light levels.
The Perelman School of Medicine, commonly known as Penn Med, is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania. It is located in the University City section of Philadelphia. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of Medicine is the oldest medical school in the United States and is one of the seven Ivy League medical schools. Penn Med consistently ranks among the highest recipients of NIH research awards, and it is currently tied for 3rd place on U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools: Research" list.
Patricia Era Bath was an American ophthalmologist, inventor, humanitarian, and academic. She was an early pioneer of laser cataract surgery. She also became first woman member of the Jules Stein Eye Institute, first woman to lead a post-graduate training program in ophthalmology, and first woman elected to the honorary staff of the UCLA Medical Center. Bath was the first African-American person to serve as a resident in ophthalmology at New York University. She was also the first African-American woman to serve on staff as a surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center. Bath was the first African-American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose. The holder of five patents, she also founded the non-profit American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in Washington, D.C.
Marvin Leo Kwitko, FACS, FICS, FRCS, KStJ was a Canadian ophthalmologist who pioneered in cataract surgery and laser eye surgery. He is one of Canada’s most distinguished ophthalmologic writers and surgeons. Kwitko was the first doctor in Canada to insert intraocular lens implants during cataract surgery (1967) and the first doctor in Canada to perform radial keratotomy surgery (1979).
James Benjamin Martel is a physician, surgeon and scientist. He is former Chair of Surgery, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, former Chief of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology (ENT), and Plastic Surgery, Sutter Roseville Medical Center. He is the former Director of Ophthalmology, Sutter General and Memorial Hospitals and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Radiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School and Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute. He is currently Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education in California Northstate University College of Medicine.
Stephen Updegraff, M.D., FACS is an American refractive surgeon best known for his early involvement in, and contributions to, LASIK. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a board-certified member of the American Board of Ophthalmology, a founding member of the American College of Ophthalmic Surgeons, and a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Pine Ridge Eye Study Society. Updegraff currently serves as the medical director of Updegraff Vision in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Jeff Machat MD, FRCSC, DABO is an ophthalmologist in the United States and Canada specializing in surgical vision correction better known as refractive eye surgery.
Steve Charles is a vitreoretinal surgeon who has developed many of the techniques and devices used by vitreoretinal surgeons worldwide. He is a board certified ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon, a mechanical/electrical engineer who has 48 patents or patents applied for, and has developed many of the techniques and devices used by vitreoretinal surgeons worldwide. He has performed over 38,000 vitreoretinal surgeries, lectured in 50 countries and operated in 25, delivered 17 named lectures, and over 1000 speaking trips. He authored a leading textbook in the field which is now in the 5th edition and in 6 languages and authored over 174 articles in the medical literature and over 50 book chapters.
Raymond Mark Stein, MD, FRCSC, DABO, is a Canadian ophthalmologist. He practices refractive and cataract surgery. He is the medical director of the Bochner Eye Institute in Toronto, Ontario and Chief of Ophthalmology at the Scarborough Hospital.
Sheraz Daya is a British ophthalmologist. Daya founded the Centre for Sight in 1996, and works in stem-cell research and sight recovery surgery.
Konrad Pesudovs is an Australian optometrist and outcomes researcher in ophthalmology. He is the President of the Australian College of Optometry (2016-). He was the Foundation Chair of Optometry and Vision Science at Flinders University from 2009-2017.
The Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) was created in 1994 by Dr. Geoffrey Tabin and Dr. Sanduk Ruit with a goal of establishing a sustainable eye care infrastructure in the Himalaya. HCP empowers local doctors to provide ophthalmic care through skills-transfer and education. From its beginning, HCP responds to a pressing need for eye care in the Himalayan region. With programs in Nepal, Tibet, China, Bhutan, India, Sikkim, and Pakistan they have been able to restore sight to tens of thousands of blind people every year since 1994.
Noshir Minoo Shroff is an Indian ophthalmologist, known as a pioneer of intraocular lens implantation surgery in India and a medical director of the Shroff Eye Centre. The Government of India honoured him in 2010, with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services in the field of medicine.
Charles C. Manger III is an American Ophthalmologist in Laguna Hills, California. He has specialized in LASIK surgery since 1996 and his practice is dedicated to LASIK. Manger is also board certified in Refractive surgery by the American College of Eye Surgeons. Manger is the founder of Saddleback Eye Center, is the only LASIK surgeon at this facility, and has performed over 76,000 LASIK procedures since 1996.
Dorairajan Balasubramanian, popularly known as Professor Balu, is an Indian biophysical chemist and ocular biochemist. He is a former President of Indian Academy of Sciences and a Director of Research at the Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre of L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. A recipient of the National Order of Merit (France), Balasubramanian was honored by the Government of India, in 2002, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri
Dr Amar Agarwal M.S., FRCS, F.R.C.Ophth is an Indian ophthalmologist and Chairman and Managing Director of Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital and Eye Research Centre in India, which includes 67 eye hospitals. He is the recipient of the Best Doctor award of the State government from then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa on 15 August 2014. He is also the past President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) and Secretary General of the Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society of India (IIRSI).
Berthold Seitz is a German ophthalmologist, professor and director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Saarland University Medical Center in Homburg, Saarland. He is known for his scientific contributions in the fields of cornea transplantation, cataract surgery and artificial lens-calculation after refractive corneal surgery as well as techniques of amniotic membrane transplantation and its histological integration patterns in the cornea.
Daniel M. Albert MD, MS is an American ophthalmologist, ocular cancer researcher, medical historian, and collector of rare books and ocular equipment. As of 2018, he is Professor of Ophthalmology at the Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University.
