http://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh201927780

A tribute to Ophthalmologist Jack J. Kanski

TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Gout-Radomska I. A tribute to Ophthalmologist Jack J. Kanski. J.ophthalmol.(Ukraine).2019;2:77-80. http://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh201927780

Irina Gout-Radomska, Ophthalmologist, Head of Medical Diagnostics at Prince Charles Eye Unit, King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, UK World-renowned ophthalmologist

Jack J. Kanski passed away on January 5, 2019. He was a living legend in ophthalmology and left behind an unforgettable and invaluable legacy.

 “Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach”, the book written by this talented person, has been a bible of ophthalmology for medical students and ophthalmologists throughout recent decades. He authored more than 30 textbooks on various aspects of eye disease including cataract, glaucoma, uveitis, retinal and pediatric eye disorders.

Jack was born on August 5, 1939, in Warsaw, Poland, and was the only child of Jerzy Jordan and Adela Jozefa (Wroblewska) Kanski. His father was a senior member on the staff of Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz, the commander in chief of Polish forces at the start of the Second World War. After spending his preschool years with his mother in the war-devastated city of Warsaw, they had to escape from their homeland in 1946 and settled in Great Britain. This was the country where Jack spent his school years, grew as a personality and advanced in his profession. He was a talented and many-sided pupil with a special interest in natural sciences and history. Apart from doing well academically, he had a passion for swimming and football, and was a reserve for the England Schoolboys team.

Jack Kanski obtained his Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medicine degrees from London Hospital Medical College in 1963. Dr. Kanski worked as a senior house officer, surgical registrar and resident at some of the leading London hospitals such as Western Ophthalmic Hospital, Westminster Hospital, and Moorfields Eye Hospital. 

In 1973, he was appointed as consultant surgeon at the Prince Charles Eye Unit in Windsor, where he spent his entire professional career. It is Jack Kanski who initiated regular meetings with discussions on interesting and uncommon clinical cases, postgraduate courses and international conferences at this unit. It is at this unit that a prominent school of ophthalmology comprising such prominent ophthalmologists as Richard Packard, James McAllister, Andrew Pearson, Brad Bowling and Ken Nischal, was established under the leadership of Dr Kanski. Many well-known ophthalmologists from Great Britain and elsewhere have been trainees at the Prince Charles Eye Unit and consider themselves pupils of Jack Kanski.

Early on, he became aware of the importance of supplying textbooks with a brief and accessible description of cases and representative figures of the eye in health and disease. Jack began collecting and systematizing interesting cases, and presenting them at the Eye Unit. Dr Kanski collected numerous detailed cases with schematics and clinical color photographs, and these were the precursors of his books. He had a special interest in uveal disease in adolescents.

The first of his textbooks, “Clinical Ophthalmology”, was published in 1984. Subsequently, it was being updated with new editions and material on advanced diagnostic techniques and treatment methods for eye disease. An additional value of this textbook lies in the fact that Dr Kanski managed to involve experts in their specialisms in providing comprehensive sections on eye diseases associated with systemic disorders. To date, eight editions of “Clinical Ophthalmology” have been released; it has been translated into eight languages, and become the best-selling ophthalmology textbook ever.

Dr Kanski participated in national and international conferences in ophthalmology and was frequently invited as a lecturer on various ophthalmological subjects to the world’s leading universities and eye clinics. He visited Ukraine twice as a member of the group of leading British ophthalmologists (including in particular Timothy Fytche and Paul Losen) who delivered lectures on clinical ophthalmology at the Kyiv Eye Microsurgery Center and Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University.

This was an excellent opportunity for Ukrainian ophthalmologists not only to meet this extraordinary colleague, but also to attend his instructive lectures and get expert advice on a treatment plan for patients with difficult eye conditions. Jack Kanski was pleased and excited to visit Ukraine since his mother was from Central Ukraine.

He was a kind and empathic person in both his personal life and professional activities, always attached great importance to charity both in the UK and overseas, and presented the Eye Microsurgery Center and eye disease departments of Ukrainian medical universities with clinical ophthalmology textbooks. In addition, Jack, together with Timothy Fytche, co-organized collecting ophthalmological equipment and literature and transporting these to Ukraine. Moreover, he was the first to donate for the Lviv School for Blind Children.

Universities throughout the globe awarded Jack Kanski with honorary degrees in recognition of his service for the cause of ophthalmic education. He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and other national and international science associations. In Ukraine, Dr Kanski received the Professor Emeritus Award of Merit from the Lviv National Medical University and was awarded the Pilman Medal of the Association of Pediatric Ophthalmologists.

After Jack retired, he continued his writing activities, but changed his writing focus to history that had been his second favorite subject since his school days. He prepared and published eleven books on world history and great personalities, describing the most important events in world history in his simple style, with selected interesting illustrations.

Jack leaves his wife of more than 42 years, Valerie Ann Shannan.

I have had the great honor and privilege of knowing and working with this extraordinary person over the last eighteen years. Jack’s approach to his job was an example for me; he impressed his colleagues with his awareness in various areas of life, and distinguished himself for his punctuality and self-discipline. He was my teacher, mentor and colleague, and a man with subtle humor and great heart. I will remember Jack Kanski as a tireless and hard-working person who displayed great commitment to the profession and lived his life with honor and dignity.