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7 EW SHOW DAILY 2018 ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. by Liz Hillman EyeWorld Staff Writer ogies and techniques are dependent upon each other. "You can't have phaco without a machine. But you can't do pha- co 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 today during the ASCRS Innovators General Session from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EW Editors' note: Dr. Charles has financial interests with Alcon. 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- 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 econom- ically 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' grandfathers 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 simultaneously an engineer, surgeon, and professor. Dr. Charles received his un- dergraduate degree in engineering, attended medical school at the Uni- versity of Miami School of Medicine, and completed residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, where he had also performed research throughout medical school. Afterward, he was a 2-year clinical associate at the National Eye Institute. Dr. Charles is chair of the ASCRS Retina Clinical Committee and a member of several other ophthalmic societies. In addition to the 2018 Kelman Innovator's Lecture, Dr. Charles has been widely recognized for his contributions in the field, including with a recent induction into 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 he 2018 Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator's Lecture will be delivered by a vitre- oretinal 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 inno- vator, inventor, or entrepreneur," said Steve Charles, MD, Memphis, 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 Steve Charles, MD, to deliver 2018 Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator's Lecture Steve Charles, MD T he ASCRS Foundation Run for Sight took place on Sunday morning, with a course in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. on Pennsylvania Avenue. It included a 5K run and 1 mile walk. The overall winner of this year's Run for Sight was Cory Ramstead, with a time of 18:09.6. In overall fifth place was the first female finisher, Anna Gabianelli, with a time of 19:47.1 In the walk results, Bruce Cohen finished first, with a time of 12:45.8. Ladan Espandar, as the first female finisher, was second, with a time of 13:21.1. Nearly 400 people registered for the race, with 293 total finishers (232 runners and 61 walkers). The ASCRS Foundation would like to thank Johnson & Johnson Vision for sponsoring the Run for Sight, as well as all the Johnson & Johnson Vision employees who volunteered. EW Run for Sight

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