Michael Lawless

Clinical Associate Professor Michael Lawless is an Australian ophthalmologist recognised worldwide as an authority in eye surgery. His specialty is laser vision correction, cataract and lens surgery, and corneal transplantation. He was one of the first ophthalmic surgeons in the world and the first surgeon in the Southern Hemisphere to perform femtosecond laser for cataract surgery.

In November 2012, Dr Michael Lawless received a Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), which is presented to individuals who have made significant ongoing contributions to the Academy, its scientific and educational programs and the field of ophthalmology.^[1]

Education and early career

Dr Lawless graduated in Medicine from the University of Sydney in 1980. After intern and residency years at Royal Newcastle Hospital he spent a year as Surgeon Lieutenant with the Royal Australian Navy. He was awarded the Cedric Cohen Medal for Excellence by the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists for his initial examination results and then commenced training in Ophthalmology at Sydney Eye Hospital. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO) in 1986. He is also a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) and American Academy of Ophthalmology (FAOO). Following his initial ophthalmology training, Dr Lawless undertook two years of sub-speciality education; a corneal and external diseases Fellowship with Professor Doug Coster at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, South Australia and a second Fellowship in corneal and refractive surgery with Professor Richard Troutman at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital in New York, USA

Career and research

Lawless has performed over 25,000 surgical procedures throughout his career including a number of firsts including; the first surgeon to perform LASIK in Sydney in 2005 and the first Australian to perform laser cataract surgery with the femtosecond laser in February 2011.^[2]

Lawless has been an accomplished educator and has lectured continually on a wide variety of topics within ophthalmology. These include a number of invited lectures, the most recent being at the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago November 2012 on the future of laser cataract surgery. Currently he is the convenor of the cataract program for the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and director of the intraocular surgery section for the refractive surgery degree at the Sydney University Medical School. In late 2013 Michael Lawless co-authored a book, “The Naked Eye”, with Gerard Sutton. The book provides an overview of laser refractive and lens surgery options for prospective patients and health practitioners in optometry and ophthalmology.^[3]

Throughout his career, Lawless has made important contributions to the development of national and international ophthalmology interests. As President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) in 2001, he was aware that refractive surgery was moving from a fringe sub-specialty to securing a place in mainstream ophthalmology. Realising that the educational activities of the ISRS would have a natural fit with the American Academy of Ophthalmology AAO, he encouraged an alliance between the two organisations succeeding within twelve months in bringing a successful integration.^[4] Today the ISRS/AAO is the premier refractive surgery educational forum in the world and carries on a tradition of unparalleled excellence and innovation in refractive surgery education. Locally, as Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at Royal North Shore Hospital in 2003 he moved to provide an integration of ophthalmology services within the Northern Sydney Area Health Service. Working for two years with stakeholders including the then state health minister, the area executive, individual hospital representatives, community groups, ophthalmologists and nursing staff he was able to lead the successful establishment of the area wide health ophthalmology health service at Royal North Shore Hospital. This led to a reinvigoration of the department and particularly enhanced the quality of local registrar training.

His commitment to research and education is evident in numerous publications. To give back to ophthalmologists in training he has previously established several programs for local and international doctors. With Dr Chris Rogers he started and funded an annual corneal and refractive fellowship commencing in 1994. Many of the fellows have since gone onto significant clinical and academic careers in Australia, the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom. In 2009 he was able to establish a national government sponsored registrar training position within his private practice at Vision Eye Institute. He continues to see patients at the Vision Eye Institute, Chatswood. He has been consultant ophthalmologist to the Australian Defence Force and the New South Wales Rugby union.

In early 2014, in recognition of his commitment to research and training, Dr. Lawless was made Clinical Associate Professor at the Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.

Professional membership

In 1999, Michael Lawless was invited by the executive council to join the The International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC). This society was formed in 1966 by the great English eye surgeon, Sir Harold Ridley to promote research in the field of intraocular lens implantation and allow for the free and unhindered exchange of ideas concerning anterior segment intraocular implantation.^[5] Michael Lawless is also a member of many professional organisations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmology. He was a founding member of the Australian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Personal

Michael Lawless is the brother of His Excellency Patrick Lawless, the current Australian Ambassador to Brazil.

External links

Vision Eye Institute American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology

References

^[1]