People know that cataract surgery is usually quick, painless, and effective. Now, we know that Snellen acuity is a crude test for determining when someone is ready for cataract surgery. The cutoff changed to 20/50 soon after I started practicing. When I was a resident, the attending physicians would not let me remove a cataract until the patient had a BCVA of 20/80. How has cataract surgery changed since you started practicing? I think the extra effort is worthwhile, because my patients are happy and they are grateful for what I have done for them. To determine which option is best for patients, I try to really hear what they tell me. One patient may desire complete freedom from eyeglasses, whereas another may be more interested in overall quality of vision. I listen to them and offer a corrective option that will please them. I find that many of them already know what is wrong with their vision and what they need to improve. I follow a similar philosophy when I meet my cataract and refractive patients.

When a doctor meets a patient, he is supposed to open his mind, like water running down a hill, and let the patient make an impression on him. One of the principles of traditional Chinese medicine is described by a Japanese phrase, mizo no kokoro, which roughly translates to mind like water. I do not use straightforward traditional Chinese medicine or perform acupuncture, but my experience with these disciplines has influenced how I interact with my patients. Traditional Chinese thought is more concerned about interrelationships and how different factors influence a patient's health.ĭo you use techniques from Chinese and alternative medicine in your practice? Western civilization focuses on rationality and holds that it will achieve the pinnacle of scientific knowledge if it can uncover the relationship between cause and effect. I think we can learn a lot from traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy. This period of personal growth helped me to develop a different view of nature and life. The World Health Organization founded Medicina Alternativa in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, in 1962 to share and enhance knowledge, skills, and clinical experience in the realm of complementary medicines. In 1985, I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, to speak on the treatment of refractory epilepsy with a Chinese herb from the Bupleurum genus and received an honorary doctorate from Medicina Alternativa International. I received a certificate from the US National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists. What would your colleagues be surprised to learn about you?Īfter I graduated from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I spent 6 years researching traditional Chinese and alternative medicine before I went to medical school.

Mark packer