Norman S.Jaffe

Norman S Jaffe, MD, America’s pioneer lens implant surgeon, was the first American to receive the prestigious Binkhorst Medal for lens implant surgery. He was the Guest of Honor of the American Academy of Ophthalmology at its’ 1997 meeting for his contributions as an ophthalmologist and a leader in cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dr Jaffe attended New York University on an athletic scholarship (track), from which he obtained his medical degree. After completing his service during the Korean War, as Capitan in the U.S. Army, Dr. Jaffe Moved to Florida where he joined the faculty of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine as a clinical professor. His career at the University led to his appointment as a chair of the department of Ophthalmology at St. Francis Hospital from 1958 until 1983.

He pioneered lens implant surgery in the Peoples Republic of China in 1988 when he and three of his sons performed cataract and implant surgery on 23 patients before and audience of more than 500 Chinese ophthalmologists. He has performed more than 40,000 surgeries, many on high profile patients in the entertainment, athletic, and business professions.

Dr Jaffe’s vast clinical and teaching experience has made him a leading figure in the cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation worldwide. His thoughtful, clinical and scientific approach to the introduction of IOLS in the United Estates gave creditability to what has become the most successful rehabilitative surgical procedure en the history of medicine.

Dr Jaffe has been an Academy member since 1955. He has served on numerous institutional committees and given more than 1,000 scientific lectures, and many named memorial lectures. He also has served as president and founder of the American Intraocular Implant Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr Jaffe has authored 214 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and has written 12 books.

Dr. Norman S. Jaffe was inducted into the Ophthalmology hall of fame in 1993.