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David Wallace, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in laser vision correction (LASIK, PRK), lens-based
surgery (cataract removal, lens implants, clear lens replacement) and other methods of vision correction. A graduate of the UC
San Diego School of Medicine, he completed his internship at UCLA and his ophthalmology residency at USC Medical
Center's Doheny Eye Foundation. In private practice since 1983, he has performed over 25,000 LASIK treatments and over
12,000 lens implant procedures.
Dr. Wallace was named by
Los Angeles Magazine
as one of “LA’s Best Doctors” , and has been quoted in the
New York Times
,
Los Angeles Times
, and
Business Week
magazine, among others. He has authored numerous scientific papers in professional
journals and several articles about laser eye care in the lay press.
Dr. Wallace is also recognized as an innovator in the field of high-tech medical instrumentation. He co-invented and developed
the Tono-Pen Tonometer, the Pach-Pen Pachymeter and the the Bio-Pen A-scan, three computer-based diagnostic instruments
now used by eye-care professionals worldwide. He holds several patents pertaining to microelectronic computerized
instruments, and founded Oculab Inc., to manufacture these products. They were recognized by the Industrial Designers
Society of America and received the Industrial Design Excellence Award. The Tono-Pen tonometer has generated in excess of
$100 Million in worldwide sales since its introduction, and was used in experiments aboard NASA's Space Shuttle. Dr. Wallace
remains active in research and development of products for the eye care profession.
Dr. Wallace is a firm believer in and advocate for public accountability of professionals including doctors and surgeons.
"Medicine is at its core a service profession, not unlike the hotel and restaurant business. Yet the consumer of medical care has
no tools to help guide medical care decisions like a Michelin hotel guide, a Zagat restaurant survey, or the statistical equivalent
of a baseball player's batting average." He has helped implement surgical outcome tracking and reporting systems within his
private practice and for other LASIK providers, to both monitor and improve results for recipients of laser care, and provide
the public with accurate statistics about safety, efficacy, stability and accuracy of laser vision care.
Dr. Wallace has provided consulting and teaching services for many ophthalmic companies including Chiron Vision, IOLAB,
Medtronic/Solan Ophthalmic, Mentor O&O, Pharmacia, Synemed, Bio-Rad Ophthalmic, and Carl Zeiss. He is a Fellow of the
American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Beginning in college, Dr. Wallace worked part-time as a freelance photographer and photojournalist. He has had several shows
of his work and has won a few photography awards. Though you shouldn't choose a LASIK surgeon because he or she has
won a few photo contests, Dr. Wallace does feel that his awareness of light, vision, imaging and optics acquired
through his photography background has definitely enhanced his abilities as a vision-correction
specialist.