20 years of restoring sight merits a big-top celebration

Husband and wife ophthalmologists brought the circus to town and invited patients to a private show.

By Damon Adams, amednews staff. Sept. 22/29, 2003.

Lisa Brothers Arbisser, MD, sent in the clowns.

Along with elephants, acrobats, horses and the human cannonball.

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Dr. Arbisser and her husband, both ophthalmologists in Iowa, paid for a private performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus last month as a thank you to patients and as a colorful way of recognizing her 20 years of restoring vision.

The Arbissers treated about 8,500 people to the circus, including more than 4,000 patients. The rest were family, friends and co-workers.

"The circus is one thing that appeals to all people. They said it made them feel like a child again," said Dr. Arbisser, who founded Eye Surgeons Associates, based in Davenport, Iowa, with husband Amir Arbisser, MD.

"The whole idea of seeing all of these people enjoying this spectacle because of what I've accomplished over time is very humbling and very awesome," she said.

Ringling Bros. said that corporations have purchased private performances, but this is the first time in the circus' 132 years that an individual has footed the bill.

"These [patients] at one time saw the circus, their vision failed them, she was able to correct it and now they can see it again," said Amy LeWinter, Ringling Bros. vice president for field marketing and sales, Midwest region.

Neither the Arbissers nor the circus would discuss the cost, but both said planning the event took nearly a year, from sending out invitations to patients to finding an arena to securing 2,000 handicapped parking spaces at area lots.

"It wasn't just calling up Ticketron and saying, 'I'll have 8,700 seats, please.' " Dr. Amir Arbisser said.

A colorful way to thank patients

For many years, the doctors' practice celebrated surgeries with a picnic for patients and staff. Dr. Amir Arbisser thought the circus would make a bigger splash.

"This is a population who had grown up with the circus as a form of entertainment," he said. The Arbissers' practice includes many senior patients.

It didn't hurt that his wife loved the circus as a child in New York City.

"We have this lovely picture of me holding a doll with [famous clown] Emmett Kelly. I got to ride an elephant once," Dr. Lisa Arbisser said. "It was always just a fond part of my childhood."

The event was held at the Mark of the Quad Cities, an arena in Moline, Ill., that could accommodate the sizable gathering. In attendance for the Aug. 30 bash was Dr. Lisa Arbisser's mother, Joyce Brothers, PhD, the well-known psychologist. Dr. Lisa Arbisser read a poem thanking her husband, their four children, her parents and teachers. Her husband joined her in thanking the audience.

Then, they sent in the clowns.