Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 16 July 2015 Tribute to Robert M. Sinskey, MD F ew of us have the good fortune and intellectual fortitude as the early pio- neers in modern cataract and implant surgery. To recognize the changing times and unique opportunities that existed for cataract surgeons in the 1970s was special. The easy road was to stay with the status quo, continue with intracapsular cataract surgery and anterior chamber IOLs. Why risk pushing the frontier? Why risk so much by jumping ahead into ECCE then phaco? Bob Sinskey was not one to rest on his laurels. From his training at Duke, Bob always distin- guished himself and always pushed hard to make it better and get better results—devising new instruments, developing new IOLs and, most importantly, teaching phaco tech- nique. He traveled the globe lectur- ing on phaco and making friends all along the way. He was never afraid to challenge authority or be chal- lenged. He pushed the frontiers to make modern cataract surgery the hugely successful procedure it is. We will forever be grateful. –Richard Lewis, MD Bob Sinskey was a giant in our field. His many accomplishments as an ophthalmic surgeon are well known to all. What is less appreciated is his endless curiosity in identifying and solving challenges, both surgical and far away from eye disease. The most notable of the latter is the incredible success of his winery in Napa Valley and his commitment to organic bio- dynamic farming—again, a hallmark of his unbridled curiosity. His last major contribution to ophthalmolo- gy was a surgical cure for congenital nystagmus. Bob not only invented the idea but persisted for decades to finally see his idea proven a success. –Roger Steinert, MD All of us remember Bob Sinskey as a legendary and talented phacoemul- sification cataract surgeon, inventor, and teacher. The early modification of the "J" loop Sinskey posterior chamber IOL in the late 1970s became the most popular style of its time. The Sinskey hook that was originally made as a companion to position the IOL optic is likely the most widely used eye surgical in- strument to this day. In more recent years Bob developed a strabismus procedure to manage congenital nystagmus. That operation is gain- ing foothold today. Bob had the "vision" to rec- ognize the benefit of phaco and originated a method of "one hand" posterior chamber phacoemulsifi- cation that matched his very gifted surgical skills; his technique was far kinder to the cornea than the origi- nal anterior chamber method. With Dick Kratz, MD, he organized the first West Coast teaching courses for phaco that helped transition many to small incision cataract surgery. He also taught and performed guest surgery in a large number of interna- tional locations. As a result, he had a major impact on cataract surgery around the globe. Bob also had a remarkable opportunity after World War II. He was assigned to Japan in the early 1950s to study the effects of the nuclear bombs on cataract formation, becoming one of the world's leading experts on radiation cataract. Bob was also an intense wine hobbyist whose passion led him to Dr. Sinskey visits the original Sinskey Eye Institute; the new building was built in 2013. T he field of anterior segment ophthal- mology has lost one of its legendary pioneers: Robert Sinskey, MD. He was at the heart of a grass roots effort to bring the novel surgical technique of phacoemulsification first to the west coast of the United States and then to the world. He was the quintessential teacher who elevated cataract surgery from a high-risk procedure that was avoided until patients were incapacitated by their loss of vision to a procedure that markedly improves the quality of life of millions on an annual basis. However, Robert Sinskey was much more than a teacher of phaco. He was the consummate leader of our profession. As president of ASCRS, he led by his force of will and took our society from a small group of anterior segment surgeons to our 10,000 members today. He never stopped innovating and even in his 90s was working on novel surgical techniques. At this past year's ASCRS•ASOA Sympo- sium & Congress, he received a standing ovation for his surgical technique to correct nystagmus. In addition, he was an ambassador of good will and charitable work. His work with the ASCRS Foundation culminated in the Robert M. Sinskey Eye Institute in Ethiopia. As you will read in the following remembrances, he was simply an incredible person. The next time you are in the operating room and you are manipulating the IOL with a Sinskey hook, spend a moment and recall a great man and a great ophthalmologist. Eric Donnenfeld, MD, EyeWorld chief medical editor Robert M. Sinskey, MD Tax deductible donations to the ASCRS Foundation in memory of Robert Sinskey, MD, will help support the Sinskey Eye Institute's ongoing humanitarian work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Donate by check to: ASCRS Foundation, 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033.

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