Nearly every disruptive medical technology has been a result of doctors harnessing their creative prowess to the maximum. If doctors did not innovate there would be no progress in medicine. One such man was Dr. Charles Kelman. During my residency in Ophthalmology, I was fascinated by the story of how Dr.
Charles Kelman invented the Phacoemulsification Cataract surgery machine . His story is long due and the world needs to know more about this man who had to fight people in his own fraternity to bring in innovation unmatched since. Cataract Surgery in the 1960s was a very invasive procedure involving many stitches on the eye and a 10-day hospital stay. A leading luminary ophthalmologist of the time in 1962 publicly declared "Cataract surgery has been developed to its ultimate state, and any improvements from this date will be insignificant." A man called Dr. Charles Kelman wished to…
