A long-time member of Retina Today's Editorial Advisory Board, Kirk Packo, MD, FACS, will be remembered for his exemplary surgical skills, drive for innovation, tireless loyalty to family and friends—and a penchant for theatrical flair. Here, Retina Today Editorial Advisory Board members share their tributes to their colleague, mentor, and above all, friend.
Kirk was a tireless creative innovator; he used his knowledge of film to make surgical video the standard at meetings. He brought us Retinaws, the retina subspecialty day, and under his leadership the Vitreous Society became the American Society of Retina Specialists. His love of the theatrical was best presented during his impersonation of Isaac Newton during his presentation at subspecialty day. Kirk was a great friend—generous, joyful, kind—and he valued friendship and family above all. I treasure the Wizard of Oz poster he sent me one Christmas. Thanks, Kirk, for so much, and for bringing joy to our lives and meetings.
- Maria H. Berrocal, MD
There are not enough words to describe Kirk Packo, MD. Doctor, surgeon, teacher, entertainer, creator, mentor, anchor, luminary, legend, husband, father...Kirk inspired us all with his love for retina and his passion for life.
- John W. Kitchens, MD
Luminaries in Retina: Kirk Packo, MD, FACS
John W. Kitchens, MD, interviews Kirk Packo, MD, FACS, about his triumphant career and his decision to retire from practicing medicine following an unexpected diagnosis.
Kirk Packo, MD, had the most pure talent in all of retina, and this was only exceeded by his big heart. He made us all better by raising the bar in so many ways, professionally and personally. Who creates a magnificent video masterpiece on the new field of microincisional vitrectomy and mesmerizes his audience in full costume, head to toe? Who dives deeper into a personal and shared pleasure of tequila by creating a 2-hour PowerPoint opus on the nuances of mezcal and tequila and the history of aroma, and hosts a group tasting? Kirk, we will miss you, but you will always be with us.
- Allen C. Ho, MD
Dr. Packo's contributions to retina are immeasurable, and his compassion unmatched. An absolute legend who will truly be missed.
- Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA
Kirk was a retina renaissance man—masterful in the OR, at the podium, in a boardroom, at a keyboard, or in quiet conversation. He was an artist, teacher, physician, visionary, and great friend. Our world was made better by his presence.
- Carl C. Awh, MD, FASRS
I have many fond memories of Kirk Packo. These are my favorites:
It was early 1999, and I was only 3 years out of fellowship. I had submitted papers for presentations at the Vitreous Society (later ASRS) in Rome, Italy. To my surprise, Kirk called me to discuss and "ask my permission" to make some changes to the schedule of my presentations. He was the program director and could make any changes he wanted, but that was the kind of person he was—making everyone feel important even at the early stages of a career. We became long-life friends.
At one ARVO meeting, Kirk and John Pollack, MD, invited me to dinner with Kourous Rezaei, MD, and others. At that dinner, Kirk passed the torch of Retinaws to Kourous. That turned out to be a stroke of genius, as he recognized the potential of the new generation. Kourous is the perfect master of Retinaws with a worldwide unprecedented success that I think even Kirk did not dream of.
Over the years, we had wonderful conversations about vitrectomy, surgical techniques, and life all over the world. He will never be forgotten!
- J. Fernando Arevalo, MD, PhD
During his remarkable career, Kirk Packo, MD, established himself as an innovative, skilled vitreoretinal surgeon, dedicated educator, and scientific meeting impresario. A professionally trained actor, Kirk's presentations were renowned for their clarity, wit, humor, and sophistication. He was widely acclaimed as the Yoda of PowerPoint and Photoshop. The first thing I did when a scientific program was released was to find when Kirk was speaking and hope I was not the next speaker. No one wanted to follow a Packo production! Kirk's presentations combined penetrating scientific insight with a flair for the dramatic. Few ophthalmologists will ever forget his "Tear down this wall!" line during his 2005 AAO subspecialty day talk on access to bevacizumab or his 2017 presentation on the physics of vitrectomy dressed as Sir Isaac Newton given in the Toledo equivalent of Old English. I know I will not.
Many, myself included, consider Kirk to be the father of AAO subspecialty day. His 1993 retina meeting in Chicago demonstrated the need and the enthusiasm for a comprehensive subspecialty meeting focused on retinal disease. Within a few years of that meeting, the Academy established subspecialty day meetings in all ocular subspecialties. These meetings remain a pillar and highlight of the annual meeting.
Kirk's professional leadership was legendary and transcending. As president of the Vitreous Society in 2001-2002, his vision was directly responsible for the transition of the Vitreous Society into the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS), now the largest retinal organization in the world. In 2019, the ASRS recognized Kirk's contributions by establishing the Packo Award for service to the society, and he was the inaugural recipient. He received the award to a standing ovation of his colleagues and friends.
One of Kirk's great passions was education. As chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Rush Medical School, he directly trained dozens of residents and fellows and literally thousands of others through his national and international presentations. He presented more than 1,000 lectures in 20 nations and is among the most prolific ophthalmic speakers of all time. His lectures emphasize not only the science, but also the humanity of medicine. His admonition to "Treat one patient a day for free and you will have the richest practice in the world" has been heard by a generation of retina fellows and is just one example. He received numerous national and international teaching awards, including the AAO Senior Achievement Award, and was a member of the prestigious Lepper Society of Teachers.
As a surgeon, educator and patient advocate, Kirk embodied the essence of protecting sight and empowering lives every day of his career. He made me laugh more times than I can remember, all while teaching me something new. I was privileged to have him as a friend and colleague.
- George A. Williams, MD
As we acknowledge the loss of one of our specialty's true giants, I am reminded of how much he accomplished and how willing he was to give of his own time and prodigious intellect. Having followed Kirk in many projects within the ASRS and AAO, including his past presidency and founding of retina subspecialty day, I have always been aware of how large his shoes were to fill. What always stood out for me was the dread I felt if I had to speak immediately after Kirk. No matter how amazing my talk was, I knew that it would be overshadowed by Kirk's passion, brilliance, and theatrics. As an example, following Kirk—in costume as he employed his theatrical major to speak—literally left the audience crying for more Kirk. Kirk will be missed, but his legacy of change within our field and our societies will last eternally.
- Timothy G. Murray, MD, MBA
Kirk Packo, MD: The Colorful Retinal Carpenter
Kirk Packo, MD, was a creative and legendary retina specialist. His presentations were always guaranteed to make you quietly chuckle as he compared retina surgery with retina carpentry, discussing the various hammers, drills, and buzz saws that were used. His posters were overwhelmingly imaginative with colors, graphics, cartoons, and a unique sideways perspective into his field of work.
Kirk will forever remain celebrated in the world of retina. His memory brings a tranquil sigh to my mind and heartfelt smile to my face.
Thank you, Kirk, for your immense and animated leadership.
With greatest respect,
Carol L. Shields, MD
Few, if any, have left their mark on retina more than Kirk. He was a larger-than-life figure. He raised the bar in so many aspects of our field. In the 90s he made the retina subspecialty day in Chicago quite the event, from the lecture room (the first time I used interactive keypads for instantaneous audience polls) to the incredible social event following it with his personalized, 3D, theatrical flair. No one will forget his toga party at the Vitreous Society (now ASRS) in Rome. His “tear down the wall” lecture to Genentech in the 2000s helped preserve our access to Avastin. He started the Vitreous Society/ASRS film festival and played a big role in the development of the ASRS. He was beloved by his patients and the numerous retina doctors who had the privilege to train with him or learn from him. He added excitement and color to our field, was quite inspirational, and will be terribly missed.
- Robert L. Avery, MD
In addition to being a skilled surgeon, a kind and caring clinician, and a remarkably warm and helpful colleague, Kirk almost single-handedly carried ASRS into the digital age, opening our eyes to the possibilities of the future and elevating our meetings with cutting-edge technology. He will be dearly missed!
- Jeffrey S. Heier, MD
Kirk Packo was a larger-than-life figure, an icon of retina and medicine, and much more. Creative, pioneering, innovative, and passionate about everything he did and everyone he loved. The ultimate Impresario of our field—he made every presentation, talk, meeting (even the ASRS itself) brighter, shinier, more complex, and fascinating. And he was sooooo much fun!
Consummate thespian, his description begs the Bard. Perhaps:
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
- William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Or this, but with infinite sadness to match his infinite jest:
I knew him, Horatio: a fellow
of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy…
Where be your gibes now? your
gambols? your songs?
your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a roar?
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Ultimately, Kirk was the consummate educator and mentor. Henry Adams could have had him in mind when he said: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Kirk Packo's remarkable mortal life is over. Now his immortality begins.
- Julia A. Haller, MD
The Cannes Retina Festival—Kirk’s brainstorm—in the festive wee hours of the morning on the Côte d’Azur. Photo courtesy of Julia A. Haller, MD
Dr. Packo was a brilliant surgeon who served as a mentor and teacher to the entire retina community.
What I admired about him was that he was uniquely fearless. He was not afraid to come to a meeting in costume or to show a video of an undesired complication. He set the bar high for future generations of retina physicians.
Thank you Kirk!
- Caroline R. Baumal, MD
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