ASRS Milestones in Retina: Importing Vitrectomy to Canada

In 1971, Dr. Robert Machemer, Anton Banko and Jean-Marie Parel designed the vitreous infusion cutter (VISC), one of the first commercially available instruments to remove vitreous during a vitrectomy. Shortly thereafter, Mark Mandelcorn, MD, FRCSC, arrived at Bascom Palmer from Toronto and became Dr. Machemer’s first fellow, working directly alongside him and Bascom’s trailblazing faculty. In this interview, ASRS History of Retina Co-Chair Timothy G. Murray, MD, MBA, FASRS, talks with Dr. Mandelcorn as he recalls his experience in Miami during a time of exciting discoveries, and his return to Canada where he was the first to use the VISC, and later trained a generation of retinal surgeons to employ this revolutionary invention to help save vision across the country.

‍Learn more at www.retinahistory.asrs.org.

About the History of Retina
The History of Retina is brought to you by the Foundation of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) in an effort to preserve the history and heritage of retina for generations to come. Trace the journey of the specialty's dynamic evolution by exploring milestones in technology, instrumentation, and techniques and hearing first-hand accounts from retina pioneers whose innovative spirit and pivotal contributions laid the framework for the advanced sight-saving retinal care of today and the enormously promising treatments of tomorrow.

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