ABSTRACT

Consultant eye surgeon, Eric Arnott, was one of the original pioneers of small-incision surgery. He was the first to perform modern Phaco surgery in Europe and designed lens implants that have restored the sight to millions of patients. The word autobiography is simply insufficient to describe this book, which is a remarkable testament to the life, works and marriage of a remarkable man.

The book details the original invention of the lens implant by Harold Ridley, who Eric worked with in his early years of medical training. It goes on to follow the development of small-incision Phaco surgery, instigated by Charlie Kelman, and the disinterest and contempt held by the peers of these ophthalmologic pioneers. The author describes every advance in this field of ophthalmology in fascinating detail. The importance to Eric of religion, spirituality, family life and helping others less fortunate than himself is reinforced in this enthralling and at times very amusing read. Arnott draws you into his narrative, rousing thoughts of disbelief as you are compelled to continue reading, each new chapter and event in his life proving as fascinating as the last.

Entertaining and illuminating, A New Beginning in Sight provides a detailed history of ophthalmology and is essential reading for ophthalmologists, other specialists and non-specialists alike.

part One|10 pages

Creatures of Circumstance

chapter Chapter 1|4 pages

Origins

chapter Chapter 2|6 pages

A dedication

part Two|17 pages

Into The Unknown

chapter Chapter 3|6 pages

The Dublin years

chapter Chapter 4|4 pages

The wonders of life and death

chapter Chapter 5|4 pages

Over the hurdles

chapter Chapter 6|3 pages

Battle of Britain pilots

part Three|45 pages

The Dancing Years of Spring

chapter Chapter 7|6 pages

Veronica and her family

chapter Chapter 8|12 pages

Moorfields – just the way it was

chapter Chapter 9|10 pages

Sir Harold Ridley and fellow inventors

chapter Chapter 10|17 pages

Love and partnership

part Four|32 pages

The way ahead

chapter Chapter 11|8 pages

The Royal College of Surgeons

chapter Chapter 12|11 pages

The British NHS heritage

chapter Chapter 13|4 pages

A link to private practice

chapter Chapter 14|9 pages

BBC TV and a boating fracas

part Five|29 pages

Into The New World

chapter Chapter 15|10 pages

Charlie Kelman and the phaco sensation

chapter Chapter 16|5 pages

A changing pattern

chapter Chapter 17|8 pages

Dogs and pigs

chapter Chapter 18|6 pages

The New Charing Cross influence

part Six|36 pages

A Time to Practise

chapter Chapter 19|8 pages

Rebirth of lens implanting

chapter Chapter 20|5 pages

Spreading the news

chapter Chapter 21|8 pages

Svyatoslav Fyodorov

chapter Chapter 22|15 pages

Helping live surgery into the world

part Seven|62 pages

Random Harvest

chapter Chapter 23|7 pages

A passage to India

chapter Chapter 24|9 pages

Country lifestyle

chapter Chapter 25|7 pages

Joining the inventors

chapter Chapter 26|9 pages

The calm before the storm

chapter Chapter 27|4 pages

Highs and lows

chapter Chapter 28|12 pages

The Virginian Trial

chapter Chapter 29|7 pages

No specs

chapter Chapter 30|3 pages

The Arnott Eye Centre

chapter Chapter 31|4 pages

Operation eyeball

part Eight|51 pages

The Final Stretch

chapter Chapter 32|6 pages

Surgical demands

chapter Chapter 33|7 pages

Anglo–Russian–American cooperation

chapter Chapter 34|8 pages

Sai Baba and the Indian dream

chapter Chapter 35|4 pages

The Eye Institute of Gibraltar

chapter Chapter 36|6 pages

The pink truck

chapter Chapter 37|20 pages

More than 50 years on

part Nine|13 pages

Journey's end

chapter Chapter 38|9 pages

Thanksgiving to Svyatoslav, and Veronica's fight

chapter |3 pages

Postscript