Ophthalmic community mourns loss of George O. Waring III | Ophthalmology

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He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1941 and earned his medical degree at Baylor Medical College, Houston. His ophthalmology training included a residency at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.

 

In 1992, Waring received a National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Scholars Award to do research in laser corneal surgery in Paris. From 1993 to 1995, he served as chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and director of research at Al-Magrabi Eye Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he helped develop LASIK.

 

Waring was a member of the American Ophthalmological Society, International Society of Refractive Surgery and International Intra-Ocular Implant Club. He also served on several national and international boards of directors.

 

to approve excimer laser vision correction surgery in the U.S. As principal investigator of LASIK at Emory, he received the first physician-sponsored investigational device exemption from the FDA.

 

Waring received three American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery.

 

George was a very, very special friend. A mentor, a teacher, as we all know a fabulous writer, and he was always there when I needed him. My favorite memory was climbing over the fence with him at 5:30 in the morning to sneak into the ancient city of Petra in Jordan before it opened to the public. We climbed up to the temple on the top and watched the sun rise with just the two of us. Typical George adventure. We will miss him so much.

 

When we launched the Journal of Refractive Surgery with Jim Salz as editor, George was an ardent supporter. He contributed important PERK study manuscripts to each of the first two issues to help establish the journal and later succeeded Jim as editor, serving passionately in that position for more than 21 years. George always pushed us, and himself, to do more and to make the journal better. We are deeply saddened to lose George but proud and happy to have had him as a friend of JRS and SLACK Incorporated all those years.

 

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