Dr. Ilan Cohen – Eye Surgeon Pioneers Breakthroughs for Vision Restoration
Even before beginning his ophthalmology practice in 2001, Dr. Ilan Cohen has been pursuing vision restoration breakthroughs for all his patients, including those who have given up hope that they’ll ever see well again. That passionate pursuit is what led him to earn two fellowships from Vanderbilt – in both cornea and refractive surgery – something few other ophthalmologists have done.
Innovative Procedures – Turning Promise into Reality
Dr. Cohen, a board-certified ophthalmologist, performed the first implantable contact lens procedure (ICL), in the tri-state area. ICLs serve as a LASIK alternative for patients with high myopia (extreme nearsightedness). He was featured on both Fox and ABC news
He also restored sight to a legally blind man who hadn’t seen out of one eye for decades. And, he performed the first artificial cornea procedure for end stage corneal disease in the tri-state area, which got him featured on CBS news. Watch videos of these news reports
Dr. Cohen also developed his own sutureless technique for pterygium excision with a limbal stem cell allograft using tissue glue, which has helped numerous patients get free from these troublesome growths.
The Doctor’s Doctor – They Send Their Toughest Complications to Him
“It’s a pleasure to work with Dr. Cohen. We’ve treated hundreds of patients together. All of my patients that need refractive treatment are sent to Dr. Cohen.” –Dr. Steve Rubenstein, Optometrist
When other eye doctors experience difficult situations and complications in their patients, they send these patients to Dr. Cohen. In other words, he’s the one other specialists refer their most challenging patients to. Why?
Because with more than twenty years of experience and dual-fellowship credentials, Dr. Cohen has performed thousands of successful procedures. He is one of the most experienced eye surgeons in the nation, and a recognized authority on laser eye surgery technology.
Dr. Cohen has spent years researching and analyzing visual outcomes to determine which techniques are safest and provide the best results for patients. He is highly skilled in the following procedures:
• LASIK eye surgery (multiple varieties)
• Cataract surgery (including the safer and more precise laser surgery – learn more here)
• Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL), which treats keratoconus
• Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL)
• Glaucoma treatments including laser surgery
• Many other specialized procedures
“I’m confident with Dr. Cohen’s surgical abilities. If my family needed an eye procedure, Dr. Cohen would be the man for the job.” - Dr. Bruce DiDonato, Optometrist
Memberships, Research, Accomplishments
Speaker
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• Lecture to New York keratorefractive society and New York Eye and Ear on artificial cornea
Author
• Chapters in Corneal Topography, pub 2012 (second highest selling ophthalmology book all-time)
• Chapters in Refractive Lens Exchanges, pub 2015
Member
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• American Medical Association
• Golden Key National Honor Society
Motivated By the Power of Vision to Change Lives
When Dr. Cohen was a teenager, his brother suffered a serious eye injury when a bottle of Coke hit the ground and exploded. Glass shards penetrated his eye, and he had to undergo several surgeries. Watching this happen piqued Dr. Cohen’s interest in vision and started him on the path he’s still walking – to help as many people as possible restore their eyesight and overcome ophthalmic ailments.
He loves combining the most advanced technology with skillful manual dexterity to produce immediate change in people’s lives. It’s a continual challenge, and the rewards keep coming with each new patient who sees and feels better faster than imagined.
For example, the only way to treat keratoconus – a degenerative corneal condition – used to be with a corneal transplant, and Dr. Cohen has done this procedure many times. But today, Dr. Cohen can treat this condition non-invasively using the cutting edge technique known as collagen crosslinking, and its related procedure, topography-guided PRK.
Accelerating Momentum, Advancing Technology
Dr. Cohen anticipates laser cataract surgery will soon become the standard of care for cataracts. He also expects that newer, more advanced lenses will continue improving vision after surgery to such an extent that cataract patients will experience near total freedom from glasses.
But all this progress hinges on one critical element: The skill and knowledge of the surgeon, coupled with the latest technology. And the best way to know that you’ve found a highly skilled ophthalmologist is by looking at the track record of successful procedures performed, as well as the words of patients and other doctors.
Dr. Cohen’s track record includes:
• 1500 cataract surgeries per year
• Thousands of LASIK procedures
• Personal consultations with every patient before doing a procedure (not all surgeons do this)
• 0.1% complication rate for cataract surgery (national rate is about 3%)
• Handling complications like flap problems from other surgeons’ LASIK and cataract surgeries
• Expertise in determining your suitability as a candidate for specific procedures – this is the #1 reason for his high success rate
Dr. Cohen wants you to know that an inexperienced surgeon, especially in LASIK and other laser procedures, is not a bargain, and neither is older technology. Both may cost less up front, but if you don’t get the best results, and risk having additional complications and the need for follow-up procedures, you don’t really save on costs or experience that breakthrough quality of life you desire.
