One of the country’s best known LASIK surgeons, Dr. Charles C. Manger III, will support ongoing research related to correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other refractive errors through an endowed chair in corneal laser surgery at the Keck School of Medicine.  The chair recognizes the commitment of Dr. Manger and his family to the Doheny Eye Institute and the USC medical community.

Dr. Manger was one of the first ophthalmologists in Southern California to perform LASIK surgery, which uses a laser beam to reshape the cornea to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses. Approved by the FDA in 1996, the procedure is more accurate and comfortable than earlier surgeries and offers quicker visual recovery. Over the past 11 years, Dr. Manger has performed 5,000 to 7,000 LASIK surgeries each year at his Saddleback Eye Center practice in Laguna Hills, Calif.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Dr. Manger served for five years as an engineer on a nuclear submarine before turning to medicine. After completing pre-medical studies at Harvard University, he graduated from the USC School of Medicine, then completed his ophthalmology residency at the Doheny Eye Institute at USC. His history with USC runs deep: his grandfather, Charles C. Manger I, MD, served as a professor of neuropathology and then chief of the Department of Neurology from 1911-1918. Dr. Manger’s wife, Carol, is also a USC graduate; their daughter, Laurie, begins her senior year at USC this fall.

Dr. Manger commended founding ophthalmology department chairman and current Doheny President Steve Ryan and Department of Ophthalmology Chairman Ron Smith for their dedication and hard work over the past 30 years to build Doheny into one of the world’s most respected research and eye care centers and the ophthalmology residency into a top-ranked program. David Huang, MD, PhD, co-inventor of optical coherence tomography, a technology that is widely used for refractive surgery and other medical and diagnostic purposes, will hold the chair in corneal laser surgery. “Corneal laser surgery is commonly used to correct refractive error, but we have yet to unlock its full potential for restoring vision in patients with irregular or cloudy corneas,” Dr. Huang said. “With Dr. Manger’s support, I hope to advance this important area of research.” Dr. Smith commented, “The Manger family gift will provide the resources to assure Dr. Huang’s success in his research program.”