Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 18 August 2017 by Liz Hillman EyeWorld Staff Writer laser as a knife to create incisions in different configurations that would allow the donor cornea to fit lock- and-key with the recipient. "He developed a number of dif- ferent patterns … that would allow the graft to be stable, minimizing induced astigmatism. This was long before the days of DSEK and DMEK, but that was the way he thought you could reduce the amount of astigmatism by being more precise with the way the donor would fit into the recipient," Dr. Lane said. "Roger made significant contribu- tions to anything dealing with the anterior segment. His breadth of knowledge, experience, reason, and love for teaching made Roger one of the great educators of our time. "He is also," Dr. Lane contin- ued, "the editor of the most success- ful and most widely read book on cataract surgery. … It's basically the bible of phacoemulsification, so that speaks to his tremendous devotion and expertise in the discipline of cataract surgery." Outside of medicine, Dr. Lane said Dr. Steinert loved to ski and snowboard. "He loved the outdoors and par- ticularly loved to be in the splendor of the mountains and skiing," Dr. Lane said. But his greatest love was his wife, April, and their children. Dr. Lane recalled the love and respect the Steinerts had for each other that made their relationship special and was obvious to all who knew them. Dr. Lane said he and his wife had the good fortune of traveling ex- tensively with Dr. Steinert and April. One of his favorite memories was a trip for a meeting in the Asia-Pacific to Hanoi, Vietnam. The foursome toured the country together after the meeting, and it was there that Dr. Steinert introduced Dr. Lane to an alcoholic beverage he had devised, now well-known by his close friends and family and fondly dubbed "the Steinert." "It is a martini that is half gin and half vodka on the rocks with blue cheese stuffed olives," Dr. Lane said. The Steinert became well-known among Dr. Lane's own family as well. At his middle daughter's wed- ding, he recalled that his son came up to him and said, "Dad, this is a nice wedding, but the highlight of the wedding to me was I was just penetrating keratoplasty, and his interest in teaching and education. Dr. Steinert was the author of what is arguably the most widely read book on cataract surgery, Cata- ract Surgery: Technique, Complications & Management, which has gone through several editions. He au- thored hundreds of other books and peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Steinert received his bache- lor's degree from Harvard University in 1973, graduating summa cum laude, and earned his medical de- gree in 1977 from Harvard Medical School. He completed residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirma- ry (MEEI) in 1981 and went on to join the faculty at Harvard Medical School. He served as president of the medical staff and director of the corneal service at MEEI in the late 1980s before entering private practice at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston in 1991. Dr. Steinert prac- ticed there and remained involved in teaching residents at MEEI and Harvard until moving west for the University of California, Irvine, in 2004. Dr. Steinert was chair of the Program Committee for ASCRS for 9 years, and he served as ASCRS presi- dent from 2005–2006. His many accolades over the years included the Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in 1988, the Senior Honor Award from AAO in 1998, the Man of Vision Award from the National Society to Prevent Blindness, Massachusetts Chapter, in 1994, the American Board of Ophthalmology Recognition Award in 2001, the Visionary Award from the Foundation Fighting Blindness in 2010, and the Presidential Recog- nition Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery in 2012, among several others. Dr. Steinert received several awards at the ASCRS Film Festival. He was frequently among the top on professional recognition lists. He is survived by his wife, April, his three children, and his three stepchildren, as well as his grand- children. "A tremendous loss to our profession" Ophthalmology drew Dr. Steinert and Stephen Lane, MD, Associated Eye Care, Stillwater, Minnesota, to- gether, but their friendship extended far beyond the medical field. Dr. Lane remembered meeting Dr. Steinert at a Boston Ophthalmo- logical Society meeting in the early 1990s. Dr. Lane, who was invited to give a lecture at the time, said he and Dr. Steinert, both cornea spe- cialists, were put together to teach another group of doctors. "We led a couple of different small group discussions, had dinner, and it just blossomed from there," Dr. Lane said. Dr. Lane recalled what he thinks are some of Dr. Steinert's most significant contributions. He was in- volved in the early days of excimer laser treatment, conducting investi- gational work for PRK and eventual- ly LASIK. Dr. Steinert also pioneered the use of the femtosecond laser in penetrating keratoplasty, using the Renowned ophthalmologist leaves behind legacy of innovation, education, and friendship R oger Steinert, MD, Irvine, California, a past president of ASCRS and previous chair of the Program Com- mittee, died at 66 years old on June 6, 2017, after a more than 2-year battle with glioblastoma. Dr. Steinert, the founding director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Irving H. Leopold Profes- sor, and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cal- ifornia, Irvine, was well-known in the field for his many contributions, including early work in laser vision correction, techniques to improve Ophthalmic community mourns Roger Steinert, MD Dr. Steinert was chair of the ASCRS Program Committee for 9 years.

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