Hilel Lewis, MD
Chairman, Division of Ophthalmology
Director, Cole Eye Institute
Cleveland Clinic

BIOGRAPHY

Recognized nationally and internationally as a pioneer in the treatment of diseases of the retina, macula and vitreous, Dr. Lewis has made significant contributions to the awareness of these diseases; particularly, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and complicated retinal detachments. As an innovator and inventor, he has developed new surgical techniques, devices, and instrumentation. He has performed ophthalmic surgery on over 7,500 patients, including kings, heads of state, and celebrities.

Dr. Lewis conceived, designed, fund-raised and built the world-renown Cole Eye Institute that was completed in mid-1999. By taking a new approach to eye diseases, this state-of-the-art building integrates research, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and education.

Originally from Mexico, he completed his postdoctoral training at several of America’s most prestigious eye institutes, including the Jules Stein Eye Institute (UCLA), Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute (Johns Hopkins University).

In addition to being the recipient of over 68 national and international honors and awards in his career, he has the distinction of being recognized as one of the top ophthalmologists in America. Currently, Dr. Lewis sits on 12 editorial boards, including Executive Editor of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. He has contributed to more than 230 publications and 36 book chapters, and is the author of the textbook, Medical and Surgical Retina: Advances, Controversies and Management.

Andrew P. Schachat, MD
Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs
Cole Eye Institute
Cleveland Clinic

BIOGRAPHY

Andrew P. Schachat, M.D. joined the Cole Eye Institute staff as Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs in the spring of 2006. He is the former Karl Hagen Professor of Ophthalmology and Vice Chairman for Safety and Quality of the Department of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Ocular Oncology Service, at the Johns Hopkins University. He was also Professor of Oncology.

In 2003, Dr. Schachat became Editor-in-Chief of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s journal, Ophthalmology.

He was born in New York City, attended Princeton University, graduating in 1975 and then medical school, graduating in 1979, at Johns Hopkins University. His ophthalmology residency training was at the Wilmer Institute at Johns Hopkins, and his retina and oncology fellowship was at the Wills Eye hospital in Philadelphia.

In 1984 he was Assistant Chief of Service at Wilmer and he has remained at Wilmer until moving to the Cleveland Clinic. For five years he was Secretary of Quality of Care for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and in 2001, President of the Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. He is a former Associate Editor of the Archives of Ophthalmology and a current editor of two volumes of Ryan’s Retina, 4th Edition, 2006.

• Developed the “Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant”.
• Invented of the Trabectome®, a minimally-invasive glaucoma surgical instrument for the treatment of adult and infantile open-angle glaucoma.
• Participated in 44 clinical trials involving glaucoma drugs and laser surgery.
  

• Was the first to use perfluoropropane gas in the management of retinal detachments made worse by recurrent scar tissue proliferation (PVR).
• Developed use of perfluorocarbon liquids during retinal surgery.
• Helped to introduce a panoramic viewing system to improve retinal visualization during surgery.

• Founder of the Doheny Retina Institute.
• Helped in developing over 40 patents, medical devices and surgical techniques including 25-guage surgery and the transconjunctival approach.

• Invented the Brightest Acuity Tester.
• Developed the Holladay "IOL Consultant" and "Refractive Surgery Consultant" software programs for post-LASIK surgery patients.
• Received the Lifetime Achievement Medal from the International Society of Refractive Surgery (2006) and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (2007).

• Research projects focus on: Retinal Degeneration including Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa.
• Holds three issued patents, and many pending, in the retinal prosthesis “artificial vision” field.
• Holds multiple research grants from the National Sciences Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and Second Sight and has oversight on three grants totalling $20-million in funding.

• Serves on the Editorial Boards of several ophthalmic journals and is the Consultation Section editor of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Was presented the 22nd Binkhorst Medal Lecture at the 1998 annual meeting of the AAO.

• Achieved worldwide recognition as a leader in cataract surgery.
• Designed many of the contemporary intraocular lenses and instruments used in cataract surgery, in addition to developing new techniques in this subspecialty.
• Editor of the Video Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, Video Textbook of Viscosurgery, and International Advances in Phacoemulsification, which are viewed by cataract surgeons on six continents.
• Reviewer for the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, the Archives of Ophthalmology, and is on the Editorial Board of five additional publications.

• Known for his clinical expertise in diseases and surgery of the cornea and ocular microbiology and laser vision correction.
• In 2006, he documented an increase in the incidence of an aggressive form of fungal corneal infection that was related to soft contact lens use.
• Author of more than 175 peer-reviewed publications in scientific literature.
• Specializes in corneal transplants having performed over 1,000 of these in adults and children.
• Former president of the Pan American Association of Ophthalmology.

• Developed the refractive surgery method known as Contoured Ablation Patterns (CAP).
• Developed a procedure to treat presbyopia, which is at the moment being tested by AMO/VISX in order to massively apply this procedure in a global manner.
• Has been designated subdirector of the next Subspecialty Refractive Surgery Day at American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in 2008 and Director for the same meeting in 2009.
• Appears in the Columbian television show 'Cambio Extremo:2' ('Extreme Makeover').

• First surgeon in the United States to perform any form of endothelial keratoplasty (EK) corneal transplant surgery and was the second surgeon in the world (after Dr. Melles of the Netherlands) to perform EK surgery.
• Developed the DLEK procedure and began the first U.S. clinical series of Deep Lamellar Endothelial Keratoplasty (DLEK). His prospective study of DLEK is now the largest series in the world.
• Founder of the international Endothelial Keratoplasty Group (EKG), which has begun a multi-site, international investigation of this procedure.

• Has written more than 900 scientific publications and 11 books, including Glaucoma Surgery: Principles and Techniques (2001), Glaucoma Diagnosis (2004), Open Angle Glaucoma Surgery (2005), and Glaucoma Answers (2005).
• Served as President of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (2002-2003) and President of the Association of International Glaucoma Societies (AIGS) (2004-2006). He also is President of the American Glaucoma Society (2006 - 2008).
• Serves on 17 Editorial Boards including Journal of Glaucoma (Co-Editor), International Glaucoma Review (Editor), Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Archives of Ophthalmology, Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (Co-Editor) and Survey of Ophthalmology (Research Editor).

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Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute - OPHTHALMOLOGY UPDATE SPRING 2007