Eyeworld

28 | EYEWORLD | SPRING 2025 ASCRS NEWS by Ellen Stodola Editorial Co-Director About the physician Richard Lindstrom, MD Minnesota Eye Consultants Minneapolis, Minnesota Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery from its early days. "When we decided to create a Foundation, I was one of the founders. Howard Fine, MD, was the first chairman, and I was the head of corporate gifts," he said, adding that he accom- panied former ASCRS Executive Director David Karcher to raise early funds from corporations because he had worked closely with industry as a consultant. "I later became chair of the Foun- dation myself." Dr. Lindstrom said he kept coming back to the ASCRS Annual Meeting because of the value it provided. "It was a great place for personal learning and developing my surgical skills that I could bring home and help patients with," he said. "It was the leading source of new and interesting information for me, especially from a surgical perspective. Although medical educa- tion was there as well, it's where I stay tuned as a surgeon." Dr. Lindstrom served in a variety of ca- pacities, including in academia, as well as at surgical centers. "I was an academician but also Richard Lindstrom, MD, reflects on his history and experience with ASCRS continued on page 30 R ichard Lindstrom, MD, has been a member of AS- CRS for decades, almost since the Society's inception, serving in various leadership roles for 40 years, including as ASCRS President from 2007–2008. This year, Dr. Lindstrom is stepping down from leadership and will be inducted into the ASCRS Ophthalmology Hall of Fame. He spoke to EyeWorld about his legacy with ASCRS. Dr. Lindstrom's first ASCRS meeting was at the Century Plaza Hotel in 1978, when the Society was still known as the American Intra-Ocular Implant Society (AIOIS). "I was still a fellow in training, and one of my mentors, William Harris, was active in early ASCRS," Dr. Lindstrom said. Attending his first meeting, Dr. Lindstrom had done some research on com- bined keratoplasty and extracapsular cataract extraction and posterior chamber lens implants, which he said was unusual at the time. He submitted his research to present at a free paper session and was accepted. "Immediately, it felt like home," he said. "As a young surgeon still in training, I was given the opportunity to meet with and interact with very prominent, established ophthalmologists. They were interested in my work, they were friendly, they were supportive, and it was a great educational experience." After that, Dr. Lindstrom returned to the ASCRS Annual Meet- ing every year. "The following year, I came back as a practitioner," he said. "I found it to be a very welcoming environment." Dr. Lindstrom also got heavily engaged in teaching and noted that he was active in many early innovations, like phacoemulsification, posterior chamber lens implants, keratoplasty, refractive surgery, and glaucoma surgery. "I found it an inviting place to share my thoughts with colleagues and also to teach ophthalmol- ogists who were interested in learning new things," he said. Dr. Lindstrom noted that he was asked to participate in ASCRS leadership in 1985. "I found that to be rewarding," he said. He also was a member of the Editorial Board of the "As a young surgeon still in training, I was given the opportunity to meet with and interact with very prominent, established ophthalmologists. They were interested in my work, they were friendly, they were supportive, and it was just a great educational experience." —Richard Lindstrom, MD

• Cover