2017 | United States | Fiction

With These Eyes

  • English 10 mins
  • Director | Evan Ari Kelman
  • Writer | Evan Ari Kelman

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Charlie Kelman wanted to be a musician more than anything else in the world, but when a monumental shift in the industry kills any chance of a career, he's left with nothing but his medical degree and an unfulfilled promise to his father to be a doctor. Unable to accept a life of relative anonymity, Charlie begins a journey of innovation and scientific exploration which pits him against the established doctors of his profession. They will stop at nothing to crush the attempts of this young upstart to improve the outdated, but standardized procedure of cataract surgery. This is the story of dogged determination, indomitable optimism, and the medical breakthrough that has not only become the most commonly performed surgery in the United States of America, but one that fundamentally changed the very nature of the modern medical landscape.

Based on the autobiography Through My Eyes, by Dr. Charles D. Kelman

Scientific relevance: 

This is the story of the unlikely invention of modern cataract surgery by pioneer inventor Dr. Charles D. Kelman. 

His procedure, Phaco-emulsification, is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States of America. Domestically, nearly 3,000,000 procedures are performed annually. Worldwide, nearly 10,000,000 procedures are performed annually. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been saved by the cost benefits of Phaco-emulsification.

Charlie Kelman is acknowledged as the first to remove an unwanted tissue from inside the human body through a small incision, fundamentally changing the medical landscape. Neurosurgeons have adopted the Phaco-emulsification machine to dissect tumors from delicate brain and spinal cord tissue in children. Cardiac, orthopedic, and other fields are also benefiting from Charlie’s breakthrough in small-incision surgery.

Charlie Kelman has received numerous awards and accolades for his invention, including the Lasker Award and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the President of the United States.

Eye Surgery Medical Invention