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Charles L. Schepens, MD has been termed "the Father of Modern Retinal Surgery". He was alive from March 13, 1912 – March 28, 2006. ¹

Not only did Dr. Shepens help in the resistance of Nazi power before WWII, he then escaped both Germany and France and went to London and the United States to further his studies and education in the field of Ophthalmology. 1
He headed one of the most influential eye research institutes in Boston, Schepens Eye Research Institute, while also teaching at Harvard.
He was a very knowledgeable scientist and researcher in the field of Ophthalmology and would be the best person to guide you through this exhibit due to his background in research of the eye and retina, as well as his surgical findings throughout his entire lifetime. He went on to receive countless awards for his contributions to eye surgery and to Ophthalmology. ¹
Source (1): https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/charlesschepens

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Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, also known by the name Rhazes, was a Persian physician, alchemist, and philosopher who would later be known as the father of Pediatrics and a pioneer in the field of obstetrics and ophthalmology.¹

Around 900 A.D., he wrote the book Al-Hawt fi-Tibb which describes some of the earliest descriptions of the mechanisms of the eye.
The most studied of these was the discovery of pupil reaction to an incoming light source. ²
Without his early findings on human anatomy, disease, and the mechani03sms of the eye, there would be no route paved for more in-depth discoveries of the eye and vision in the near future.
Source (1): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_ibn_Zakariya_al-Razi
Source (2): https://www.iosminaret.org/vol-6/issue16/legacy_of_islam.php

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Cataracts are now known as a clouding of the lens of the eye, which is normally clear, that eventually results in a decrease in vision.2
The image below depicts Abu al-Qasim Ammar ibn Ali al-Mawsili, who was one of the first ophthalmologists. He was an Arab Muslim, who later moved to Egypt to practice there. He discovered the hypodermic needle, which is a small hollow tube, and used it to "suck" the cataract out of the eye of those affected by this occurrence. This invention occurred around 1000 A.D.¹. There was little known about cataracts or the eye in general, around the time depicted in this artifact, so this invention was a major step for the treatment of diseases of the eye, as well as learning more about how cataracts work in the human body.
Source (1): http://knowhatyouknow.com/the-invention-of-the-hypodermic-needle/
Source (2): https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790
Source (3): https://muslimheritage.com/people/scholars/al-mawsili/#:~:text=Abu%20al-Qasim%20Ammar%20ibn%20Ali%20al-Mawsili%3B%20was%20an,ilm%20al-ayn%20%28%E2%80%9CThe%20book%20of%20choice%20in%20ophthalmology%E2%80%9D%29.

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Before the Book of optics was written by Ibn Al-Haytham (Alhazen), there was little published information on the eye, its inner workings, and vision. This publication's discussion of vision and optics had a large influence on physicists such as Galileo and Kepler.1
Alhazen was born in Iraq and moved to Egypt where this book was written.³
This book, published around 1021 A.D., contained theories of vision, the anatomical structure of the eye, and theories of visual perception which now relate to modern-day optics. This book is important because it paved the way for future developments in physics, optics, medicine, and science in general. The Book of Optics was also one of the first uses of the scientific method which is a huge scientific process that is still used to this day.²
Source (1): https://www.raptisrarebooks.com/product/opticae-thesaurus-alhazeni-arabis/
Source (2): https://psy-minds.com/book-of-optics/
Source (3): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ibn-al-Haytham

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Avicenna was a Persian scholar who practiced medicine and focused on philosophy throughout his lifetime. He wrote the Canon of Medicine, which is thought to be one of the most complete works of the human body and anatomy of all time. He was greatly influenced by the works of Aristotle and Galen, in which he combined topics from each of these scholars to create the Canon of Medicine. 1
The Cannon of medicine was written around 1025 A.D. and contained five separate books within. Book III focused on diseases of the human body, with specifics on diseases of the eye as well. This book contained information on the accurate anatomical structure of the eye as well as information regarding vision.2
This book, as shown below in the video, was one of the first types of sources at the time which complied Arab-Islamic discoveries and incorporated discoveries from Greece and Rome as well.
It is believed that no other book has been studying as much as the Canon of Medicine, and it is an impactive part of what we know about the human eye and vision today. 1
Source (1): https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/archives-highlights/avicenna-the-canon-of-medicine/
Source (2): https://healthywaymag.com/science/avicenna-ibn-si
Source (3): https://youtu.be/sl81QE7kuNQ

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Facsimile Finder - Manuscript Facsimile Editions

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Avicenna's Canon of Medicine - Facsimile Editions and Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

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Following the writings of Abu al-Qasim Ammar ibn Ali al-Mawsil, Ibn Al-Haytham (Alhazen), and Avicenna, Abu Ruh, a Persian surgeon,  published an original book titled Nûr-ul-'Uyûn or The Light of the Eyes that described in detail many eye operations and eye diseases.¹

This book was written in 1088 A.D. and had a major focus on curable and incurable diseases of the eye as well as their respective treatments. There was also a large portion of the book dedicated to eye surgery of various natures. This book contributed to the knowledge of later physicians and scientists about how the eye works and described all of the known diseases at the time.¹
Source (1): https://islam.wikia.org/wiki/Islamic_ophthalmology
Source (2): https://theislamshop.com/books/biographies/nur-al-uyun-the-light-of-the-eyes

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WARNING: Graphic Medical Procedure on Eye
Modern-day surgeries relating to the eye utilize a lot of information that has been providing in the past from various procedures, like cataracts and other eye diseases. The modern-day technique varies a lot from how cataracts used to be rudimentarily removed with a hypodermic needle.
Procedures now, like shown in the video below, use a probe to break apart and remove the lens from the eye. Once removed, an artificial lens takes its place and vision is restored.¹
If not for the early discoveries focusing on eye disease and anatomical structure, would not have routine procedures like the one shown today.
Source (1): https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cataract-surgery/about/pac-20384765
Source (2): https://youtu.be/_YQ6rl70OsU