by Jeffrey Stanley
“The procedure is one of only 20 such operations performed in infants born blind in the entire world, all done by me or one of my pupils.” James Aquavella ’49 was explaining his groundbreaking procedure that reversed the blindness in a weeks-old British infant earlier this year. It was the first artificial cornea implant performed on a child in the UK, but for Dr. Aquavella the operation is becoming routine.
As a corneal surgeon based at the University of Rochester Eye Institute, the Brooklyn Friends School graduate has done many cornea transplants throughout his career but his recent work with infants is making news. “For a variety of technical reasons transplants always fail in this age group,” explained Dr. Aquavella. However in the past two years he has pioneered a method of keratoprosthetic surgery—the implanting of plastic corneas—specifically for infants and young children, garnering him international praise.
Dr. Aquavella was the first fellowship-trained corneal surgeon in the United States when he established his practice in Rochester in the mid-1960s. He founded the Cornea Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester medical school, initiated its corneal fellowship program, and has trained more than 40 clinical corneal specialists and a similar number of research fellows. Currently a Professor of Ophthalmology and practicing ophthalmologist at Strong Memorial Hospital he lectures extensively, has held 18 industrial, research and academic consultations, has authored numerous textbooks and has written or co-authored hundreds of scholarly research articles and abstracts.
After graduating from BFS in 1949 as a lifer who began here in 1936, James received his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins and then went to Italy. He studied medicine at one of the world’s oldest medical schools, the University of Naples founded in 1224. By the early 1960s he had returned home to specialize in ophthalmology in Rochester.
For now, only he and a handful of his students are qualified to perform his new surgery but he expects the procedure to become routine for treating infantile congenital corneal disease worldwide. However, the procedure does require a team of specialists and a quick diagnosis. A newborn’s doctors must spot the problem right away and get in touch with Dr. Aquavella’s team within a matter of days. Sometimes it’s too late and prospective recipients must be turned away. Fortunately the defect is rare. Most doctors will never see a case of congenital corneal disease.
In addition to this innovative surgical procedure, the laboratory he heads at the University of Rochester continues other clinical eye research, and he teaches future ophthalmologists in a hands-on environment emphasizing transplants and other advanced techniques. He has also worked for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Food and Drug Administration.
Outside the lab, he and his wife Kay have lived in Rochester for 40 years and have been blessed with numerous nieces and nephews. His mother, a native New Yorker who remained in Brooklyn, passed away earlier this year.
Aquavella was born in Brooklyn and grew up in a house on Eastern Parkway along with his kid brother Charles, who graduated BFS in 1952. The family summered in a home on Long Island’s North Shore. BFS was a big part of his life. “My earliest memories are of immersion in BFS activities. I took the subway even when in the Lower School.” He particularly remembers the BFS bus used for trips to the school’s playing field in Midwood, and the formally uniformed bus drivers.
“The entire concept of a Quaker education and its reliance on personal responsibility have been of enormous benefit to me. We didn’t consider ourselves to be elite, but from an educational perspective I suppose we were.” He admitted that science education in those days was not BFS’ strong suit, but he did learn to work hard and strive for excellence thanks to Lower School teachers Mrs. Marion Cox and Mrs. Cornelia Jaggar, and Upper School Head Mr. Benjamin Burdsall whom he remembers as a role model for many students. Dr. Aquavella’s class even established a scholarship fund in Mr. Burdsall’s honor.
He credits BFS with instilling in him a sense of unlimited possibility which he has carried with him throughout his professional career. His advice to the current generation of BFS students is twofold: “Learn to interact with diverse individuals and ideas. However, be prepared and unafraid to strike out on your own.”