Did you know that the most common surgical eye procedure today began as a tragic injury to a WWII pilot? Did you know that one of the first medical devices to ever be implanted into a human was performed by an ophthalmologist? Do you know the riveting story behind the man who envisioned and achieved ground-breaking medical advancements for vision care? ______________________________________________________________________________ An innovator in eye surgery and undisputed inventor of the intraocular lens (IOL), Sir Harold Ridley achieved some of the most important discoveries in ophthalmology and medicine over the last 100 years. The compelling story of Sir Harold Ridley is one not widely known among today's medical community. It is a story of an unassuming medical leader. It is a story that needs to be told, not only for its historical value, but also to provide guidance for future generations on bringing new inventions to the world. In the early 1980's, Dr. David J. Apple, one of the most prominent American ophthalmologists and eye researchers conducted studies that by the mid-1980's had verified that Ridley's innovation--the implantation of the IOL--was potentially safe and effective. Upon hearing of these studies, Ridley requested to meet Dr. Apple at Ridley's home in England, where a life-long personal and professional relationship was born. Inside Sir Harold Ridley and His Fight for Sight: He Changed the World So That We May Better See It, Dr. David J. Apple chronicles the amazing career and life of Sir Harold Ridley based on their friendship and on never before published documents, photographs, and memorabilia. Ridley's tremendous impact on ophthalmology and specifically on the treatment of cataract patients, is a story that until now has not been told. Sir Harold Ridley and His Fight for Sight is based on 26 years of research performed by Dr. Apple. Interviews with friends, families, colleagues, as well as the review of medical and hospital records, military records, and museum exhibits have brought the story of Sir Harold Ridley to forefront of the medical community today. Dr. Apple brings life and credibility to the pages of Sir Harold Ridley and His Fight for Sight with over 600 images, testimonials from Sir Harold Ridley on his quest that began in 1935, and a personal touch that only a true colleague and friend can convey. From Harold Ridley, 1989: "I had twenty-five years in the wilderness and would have been spared much suffering if David Apple, the one who at last took the trouble to read and analyze all the early implant papers, had appeared in the 1950's, for a whole generation of cataract patients might then have enjoyed full visual rehabilitation instead of suffering the abnormalities of aphakia." In 1940 during World War II, in the legendary Battle of Britain, a British pilot was tragically blinded when shattered fragments of his cockpit canopy were embedded in his eyes. This tragic event led to the identification of an implant material and eventuated in Ridley's accomplishing a complete cure for cataracts. Ridley focused the next decade of his life on the development of an artificial lens to be implanted following the removal of a cataract. This device has restored vision to nearly 200 million people worldwide, and presently 9 million annually. After performing the first IOL implant on a cataract patient, Sir Harold Ridley was met with opposition from the medical community. It took three decades of struggle until his goal became reality. Now the cataract surgery, and its cousin, refractive surgery, including the procedure LASIK, are the most common surgical procedures performed today. Paving the way for past, current and future ophthalmologists, Sir Harold Ridley not only implanted the first medical device into a patient--he pioneered multiple once in a lifetime discoveries including innovations on river blindness, techniques for optic nerve and retina diagnosis, introduction of television and other electronic techniques to ophthalmology, as well as establishing a branch of biomedical engineering focusing on the science of artificial implants. Sir Harold Ridley and His Fight for Sight is the story of a brilliant man and his lifelong struggle to gain acceptance for his invention from his peers. He finally achieved this late in life and the intraocular lens is now recognized as one of the most important medical advances of the 20th century.

This eBook is a review on the state-of-the-art knowledge on currently available premium intraocular lenses. The volume covers a variety of intraocular lenses including multifocal, accommodative, aspheric, and toric versions and special intraocular biodevices such as intraocular telescopes. Details regarding their features, indications, contraindications and clinical results are also discussed based on evidence based / peer reviewed data. This eBook serves as a brief reference for optometry professionals seeking updates about high quality lenses for eye patients.

This anthology is devoted to the curious side of Medical History. Carl Sagan said: ”You have to know the past to understand the present.” This collection of 80 short stories, written by experts in the field, inspires curiosity and provides a detailed look at the History of Medicine. It investigates many topics, including ancient Egyptian knowledge, the fundamental importance of toothache and how it birthed Anesthesia, and why and when women were allowed to run marathons. The authors report on the background of rubber gloves, the stethoscope and the intraocular lens. Historically important biographies are included, such as those of Arthur Conan Doyle, Napoleon Bonaparte and Claude Monet. The book is relevant for those interested in Medicine and its curious history.

A neurobiologist reexamines the personal nature of perception in this groundbreaking guide to a new model for our senses. We think of perception as a passive, mechanical process, as if our eyes are cameras and our ears microphones. But as neurobiologist Susan R. Barry argues, perception is a deeply personal act. Our environments, our relationships, and our actions shape and reshape our senses throughout our lives. This idea is no more apparent than in the cases of people who gain senses as adults. Barry tells the stories of Liam McCoy, practically blind from birth, and Zohra Damji, born deaf, in the decade following surgeries that restored their senses. As Liam and Zohra learned entirely new ways of being, Barry discovered an entirely new model of the nature of perception. Coming to Our Senses is a celebration of human resilience and a powerful reminder that, before you can really understand other people, you must first recognize that their worlds are fundamentally different from your own.

This book describes community ophthalmology professionals in South Asia who demonstrate social entrepreneurship in global health to help the rural poor. Their innovations contested economic and scientific norms, and spread from India and Nepal outwards to other countries in Africa and Asia, as well as the United States, Australia, and Finland. This feminist postcolonial global ethnography illustrates how these innovations have resulted in dual socio-technical systems to solve the problem of avoidable blindness. Policymakers and activists might use this example of how to avoid Schumacher's critique of low labor, large scale and implement Gandhi's philosophy of good for all.

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world and cataract surgery is the most commonly performed operation worldwide. The international authorship of this book permits discussion of both the generality of the field and the details of a number of important topics that more recent research shows are important to understanding developments in the field of cataract surgery. These topics are discussed under the following areas: Pre-operative Care; Operative Surgery and the History of Cataract Surgery; Complications; and Cataract Surgery in Special Situations. The combination of topics makes this an informative, original, and lasting source of knowledge on cataract surgery. Further the chapters on the history of cataract surgery and major advances in the area are, in particular, of importance not only to surgeons and researchers but to physicians more widely as well as the general reader.

The Eye in History is a comprehensive manual describing the structure and function of the eye, ocular disorders and their treatment. Beginning with an introduction to anatomy and discussion on different disorders, the authors also review eye diseases of famous historical people and perception differences between men and women. The final sections discuss eye surgery and future technologies including the bionic eye, nanotechnology and gene therapy. Edited by Frank Joseph Goes of the Goes Eye Centre in Belgium, this multi-authored book has contributions from specialists throughout Europe, as well as the USA. 830 full colour images and illustrations assist comprehension. Key points Comprehensive guide to structure and function of the eye, ocular disorders and treatment Includes sections on eye diseases of famous historical people, the art of painting and perception Discusses future technologies including bionic eye, nanotechnology and gene therapy Edited by Frank Joseph Goes of Goes Eye Centre, Belgium, with contributions from authors across Europe and the USA Features 830 full colour images and illustrations