Eyeworld

EW ASCRS•ASOA 2018 64 ASCRS•ASOA program preview • April 13–17, 2018 by Liz Hillman EyeWorld Staff Writer "You can't have phaco without a machine. But you can't do phaco without a variety of techniques (capsulorhexis, hydrodissection, etc.)," Dr. Charles said, providing an example of his point. "Technique and technology go hand-in-hand; that is crucial." The second theme, Dr. Charles said, is the team required to bring new techniques and technologies to fruition. "It's an evolutionary process, as opposed to a doctor who invents something, and everyone uses it as that doctor invented it. It's a team of engineers and surgeons," Dr. Charles said. Embedded within that team of engineers doing everything from writing code to building and testing prototypes is where Dr. Charles said he wants to be. "Engineering, design, and prod- uct development is my passion— and I don't like the word passion— it's my job, it's my responsibility." Dr. Charles is currently working on projects to improve visualization during surgery and techniques to deliver stem cell therapies for retinal diseases. The Kelman Innovator's Lecture will take place on April 16 during the ASCRS Innovators General Ses- sion from 10:00–11:30 a.m. EW Editors' note: Dr. Charles has financial interests with Alcon. Contact information Charles: scharles@att.net Retina Institute. He has more than 100 issued or pending patents for his work. He helped develop the first disposable, diaphragm-driven axial vitreous cutter as well as dual actuation for vitreous cutters, which was incorporated into the Accurus Surgical System (Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas) and the Constellation Vision System (Alcon). These devices also included other functions that Dr. Charles thought to bring into one machine. Dr. Charles' contributions to the field include techniques to improve other aspects of vitreoretinal surgery as well, including fluid-air exchange, internal drainage of subretinal fluid, endophotocoagulation for retinopexy and hemostasis, and tools for safer epiretinal membrane removal. Dr. Charles has played a role in developing surgical robots for mini- mally invasive surgery and visualiza- tion technology. Dr. Charles has performed more than 37,000 vitreoretinal surgeries, has lectured in 50 countries, and is the author and editor of content in textbooks and medical journals. "I don't hunt, fish, play golf, take vacations, go to wine tastings, or go to movies. I don't do any of that. I've got time to do heavy duty engineering and heavy duty sur- gery," Dr. Charles said. Dr. Charles' lecture, "Systems Engineering at the Intersection of Technology and Technique," will focus on two themes. First, technol- ogies and techniques are dependent upon each other. patentable idea, they don't know how to bring it to implementation; they don't know how to design or build it and how to make it eco- nomically and practically viable. "I pride myself on visiting manufacturing facilities and un- derstanding the cost structure and understanding the whole product development process," Dr. Charles said. One of Dr. Charles' grandfa- thers were a mechanical engineer, and the other was a surgeon; his father was a college professor. Though he doesn't necessarily think of combining these histories into the genesis of his career path, he acknowledged that he is simulta- neously an engineer, surgeon, and professor. Dr. Charles received his un- dergraduate degree in engineering, attended medical school at the University of Miami School of Med- icine, and completed residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, where he had also performed research throughout medical school. After- ward, he was a 2-year clinical associ- ate at the National Eye Institute. Dr. Charles is the chair of the ASCRS Retina Clinical Committee and a member of several other oph- thalmic societies. In addition to the 2018 Kelman Innovator's Lecture, Dr. Charles has been widely recog- nized for his contributions in the field, including with a recent induc- tion to the Retina Hall of Fame. He is a clinical professor of oph- thalmology at the University of Ten- nessee and practices at the Charles A vitreoretinal surgeon and engineer, Dr. Charles will discuss the importance of collaboration and how advancement in techniques and technology are linked T his year, the Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator's Lecture at the ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting in Wash- ington, D.C., will be deliv- ered by a vitreoretinal surgeon who shirks the idea of calling himself an innovator. "I prefer to be thought of as a systems engineer, a mechanical and electrical engineer, not an innova- tor, inventor, or entrepreneur," said Steve Charles, MD, Germantown, Tennessee. He admitted, however, that the word "innovator" might be applicable to many of the surgi- cal techniques he developed. He stressed that much of his work is a collaborative and compounding effort. "There's a difference between an inventor, an innovator, an engineer, and a promoter," Dr. Charles said. "Inventors might get a patent and make money on a patent, but the March 2018 Steve Charles, MD, to deliver 2018 Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator's Lecture Steve Charles, MD Past Kelman Lecturers • Reay Brown, MD, 2017 • Graham Barrett, FRANZCO, 2016 • Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, 2015 • Warren Hill, MD, 2014 • Richard Mackool, MD, 2013 • Douglas Koch, MD, 2012 • Richard Lindstrom, MD, 2011 • Henry Edelhauser, PhD, 2010 • Robert Osher, MD, 2009 • Theo Seiler, MD, 2008 • Okihiro Nishi, MD, 2007 • Kensaku Miyake, MD, 2006 • Carmen Puliafito, MD, 2005 • John Marshall, PhD, 2004 • Ioannis Pallikaris, MD, 2003 • David Apple, MD, 2002 • Gholam Peyman, MD, 2001 • Stephen Klyce, PhD, 2000 • David McIntyre, MD, 1999

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