Cas Swinger, M.D

Cas Swinger, M.D., the "refractive surgeon’s" surgeon, is an internationally renowned pioneer in refractive surgery. In addition to the scientific media, his work has also been featured numerous times on radio, TV and in publications such as Time Magazine, New York Magazine, Discover, US, and Science Digest.

Training

• Educated and experienced as an aerospace electronic engineer
  
• Obtained MD degree from the University of California
  
• Internship at The New York Hospital (Cornell) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute
  
• Residency in ophthalmic surgery and two year postdoctoral fellowship in corneal and refractive surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in NYC
  
  
  

Honors

• Included, along with only 10 other refractive surgeons in the world, in the book "Refractive Surgery with the Masters"
  
• ISRS Founder’s Award
  
• Honored Barraquer Lecturer at the American Academy of Ophthalmology
  
• Recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award for his numerous scientific presentations.
  
  
  

Pioneering Accomplishments

Selected accomplishments from dozens of contributions to vision correction surgery include:

• Performed first refractive surgery (vision correction) in the USA in 1977
  
• Performed the first LASIK-like surgery in the USA
  
• Developer of solid-state UV laser and first in world to perform surgery with a small spot scanning laser and eye tracker
  
• One of ten investigators in the USA for the VISX laser FDA trials
  
• Only ophthalmologist in the world to have developed two instruments used in the LASIK procedure, a microkeratome and a laser
  
• First introduced laser refractive surgery into the New York area in 1991, at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital
  
• Organized and directed the first courses in vision correction in the USA
  
• Co-founder and past president of the first global society devoted to refractive surgery (International Society of Refractive Surgery--ISRS)
  
• Co-developer of the Barraquer-Krumeich-Swinger device and microkeratome
  
• Inventor of a femptosecond laser and microkeratome (makes flap in LASIK)
  
• Developed the world’s only clinical alternative to the excimer laser
  
• Has published more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters on vision correction surgery (see WORKS page)
  
  
  

Having performed thousands of refractive surgery operations during the past 20 years, Dr. Swinger’s goal is surgical success and patient satisfaction . Dr. Swinger is on the faculties of the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary in New York City.