The history of lens implantation in Canada

The first successful intraocular lens implantation in a patient after cataract removal was performed in 1949 by Dr Harold Ridley. Although several ophthalmologists attempted lens implantation with the Ridley implant in the years that followed, the success rate was so poor and the results so inconsistent that the procedure was abandoned until the Binkhorst system was introduced by Dr Kwitko (1966). Lens implantation gained a certain measure of acceptance by 1975; however, major problems still existed, for example, a lack of satisfactory magnification and frequently occurring flat chambers. These problems were solved largely by the introduction of the co-axial microscope and viscoelastic material.