Malcolm A. McCannel, MD, dies at 96

Indianapolis-Malcolm A. McCannel, MD, the pioneering ophthalmic surgeon who developed practice management techniques as well as the McCannel suture, died Dec. 30, 2012.

Dr. McCannel pioneered practice management methods, including the use of ophthalmic technicians to take histories, perform refractions, and other testing. He was an early adopter of IOL implants, and he developed the McCannel suture in part to manage the subluxations associated with early iris-clip IOLs implanted after intracapsular cataract extraction.

Dr. McCannel was a member of countless national and international professional organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), American College of Surgeons, Royal College of Ophthalmology, United Kingdom and Société Française d'Ophthalmolgie. He was the recipient of the Honor Award (1983) and the Humanitarian Award (1996) of the AAO as well as the Charles B. Bolles-Rogers Award (1983), Regents Alumni Service Award (1992), and Diehl Award (2003) from the University of Minnesota, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.

He is survived by his wife, Gayle Reed-McCannel. In addition, he is survived by his daughters, Laurie McCannel, Abigail Worley, Dana McCannel, Teri Motley, and five grandchildren.