Charles L. Schepens was an influential American ophthalmologist regarded as "the father of modern retinal surgery."
In 1949 he established the world's first retina service and first retina fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. In 1967, Schepens founded The Retina Society and was its first president.
He invented the binocular indirect ophthalmoscope and was a pioneer of surgical techniques such as the use of scleral buckling for repair of retinal detachement. During his career, he wrote 4 books and over 340 research papers.
In 1999, he was chosen by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery as one of the ten most influential ophthalmologists of the century. The AAO named him one of their inaugural laureates in 2003 for his contribution to the field.
