Although U. S. military troops are the best trained in the world and go into battle equipped with state-of-the-art protective devices, such incidents are inevitable in war.
Ophthalmologist and refractive eye surgeon Lt. Col. Charles “Chaz” Reilly saw many severe eye injuries in the trauma hospital at Bagram Air Base when serving as theater ophthalmologist with Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2007-2008.
“They would airlift the injured to us in a matter of minutes—really amazing response time,” the doctor recalls. “If things went well and we were lucky, we could operate, restructure the eye and repair the damage–a remarkable experience.”
Granted, he continues, there was plenty of pressure with every case that came in. The responsibility that rests in an eye surgeon’s hands can be almost overwhelming. But, still, he wouldn’t dream of hanging up his surgical gloves in favor of a less stressful profession.
“I’m passionate about medicine and totally fascinated by the wonders of the eye,” declares the lieutenant colonel, who is stationed at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base where he’s chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and chief of corneal/external disease and refractive surgery.
Reilly, who was born in Colorado, also is passionate about serving his nation. His father was in the U. S. Army and Reilly says he “sort of grew up all over, wherever Dad was stationed—I was your typical Army brat.”
He attended the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, his heart set on becoming a fighter pilot. When a sports injury sidelined that dream, he moved into the medical field, studying at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., doing his residency at Wilford Hall and earning a fellowship in ophthalmology and refractive surgery at the University of California Davis Medical Center.
Today, as one of a mere 30 ophthalmologists in the Air Force and its sole laser refractive eye-surgery trainer, Lt. Col. Reilly carries a mighty heavy workload—and that’s putting it mildly!
Among his many duties: consultant to the USAF Surgeon General for Refractive Surgery; chief of the Joint Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center that serves all branches of the military. (The Warfighter Center handles approximately 3,000 eye surgeries per year.); staff ophthalmologist with the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium; and director of resident education in refractive surgery for the University of Texas Health Science Center’s Department of Ophthalmology.
Additionally, the 43-year-old doctor is an enthusiastic researcher, has numerous awards and honors to his credit and has received commendations for his meritorious work in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Allied Force in Kosovo where he was flight surgeon with the Delta Squadron. He also goes on humanitarian missions each year to places such as Honduras or Peru to train and work with doctors in civilian hospitals, enabling them to better deal with patients’ eye problems.
Retired Lt. Gen. Paul W. Myers, who served in Washington as U. S. Surgeon General from 1978 to 1982 and, prior to that, was director of neurological surgery at Wilford Hall and commander of the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, praises Reilly’s dedication.
“Reilly is one of the best eye doctors in the country; an extraordinary young man,” says Myers, who had successful cataract surgery performed on both eyes during the past year. “It’s marvelous what modern technology—and a very skilled doctor like Chaz Reilly—can do these days.”
Retired U. S. Army Col. William Ward also praises Dr. Chaz’s vision-saving skills. Ward’s eyes started failing a number of years ago and, after many unsuccessful attempts to reverse the condition, he finally found his way to Reilly. The ophthalmologist battled the patient’s growing blindness with cornea transplants and cataract surgery, ultimately saving sight in one eye. But it isn’t just those surgical talents that have impressed Ward.
“I admire the way Chaz values his patients over procedures,” Ward explains. “The man is a truly caring and compassionate individual along with being a good friend, fine refractive surgeon and ophthalmologist.”
Ophthalmology focuses on the anatomy, functions, pathology and treatment of the eye. Refractive surgery is any operation used to improve the condition of the eye and/or decrease the dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The specialty can reduce or cure common vision disorders such as myopia and astigmatism and also includes surgical remodeling of the cornea and cataract surgery.
Some of these amazing possibilities were envisioned way back in 1896 in Holland by an ophthalmology teacher, Lendeer Jans Lans, who did primitive surgical studies. Imagine how astounded that pioneer would be today to see the advancements in the field and the way refractive surgery is being used to protect fighting troops.
In fact, many men and women in the armed forces dependent on glasses or contacts opt for corrective surgery before being deployed because in war glasses can easily be broken and contacts lost. And, as Dr. Reilly emphasizes, not being able to see clearly on the battlefield or when flying can mean your life.
When not involved with deployment cases, Reilly often can be found operating on retired individuals who’ve served their country and whose sight has started to blur due to cataracts. Modern laser surgery can usually solve the problem, he says, and most patients who undergo the procedure see better than they ever have before.
The challenge for any eye surgeon, of course, is to keep pace with the constant laser upgrades and fast moving technology. But Reilly welcomes the opportunity and the privilege. It’s also a privilege, in his opinion, to belong to the Air Force—he and his wife, Suzie, think of the Force as “family.” And speaking of the woman who has been his wife for 21 years, Reilly’s affection is as clear as 20/20 vision.
“She’s from a military background and understands my commitment to this demanding career,” the doctor says. “Suzie was my strongest supporter and sweetheart in high school ... she still is.”
