Robert L. Epstein, MD

Robert L. Epstein, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist who has performed refractive surgery since 1980. He is a nationally recognized expert in the vision correction procedures that free his patients from dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Dr. Epstein has performed LASIK and other refractive surgery procedures on patients from the Chicagoland area, the United States, and around the world, including his own children. He was the first surgeon in the Midwest and third in the United States to perform LASIK in 1991. He has several patents including an instrument that increases the safety and accuracy of laser vision correction. He is one of the developers of multifocal LASIK that gives people freedom from bifocals and reading glasses.

Dr. Epstein's goal is to optimize the visual outcome of surgery for each patient. He has authored three books, is on the editorial advisory board of Review of Ophthalmology and is a reviewer for the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

More About the Mercy Center for Corrective Eye Surgery

Contact Dr. Epstein to order his new book: Seeing After 45.

Dr. Robert Epstein is the medical director and chief surgeon of the Mercy Center for Corrective Eye Surgery. He has personally hand-picked and trained each staff member so that patient care is of the highest quality. Each patient is given a comprehensive examination before surgery to determine the best option for vision correction. For LASIK, Dr. Epstein uses the newest in custom wavefront technology, the VISX STAR S4 excimer laser system. This system provides a highly accurate measurement of the corneal shape. This unique "corneal map" is then programmed into the laser so that an individualized laser profile reshapes the cornea to correct for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The STAR S4 technology combined with Dr. Epstein's skill and experience provide for the safest and most precise LASIK outcomes. In addition to LASIK, Dr. Epstein offers PRK and Epi-LASIK for laser vision correction. Crystalens (an intraocular lens that corrects both near and distance vision) and ICLs (intraocular contact lens) are available for patients who do not qualify for LASIK.

More About Dr. Robert Epstein

Dr. Robert Epstein completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering. He worked as a research scientist at Bell Laboratories before obtaining his medical degree from the New Jersey Medical School. His residency in ophthalmology was completed at the University of Illinois School of Medicine. He also completed an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a former vice-chief of medical staff and chairman of medical staff quality assessment. He has done pioneering work related to the treatment of presbyopia, an age- related condition that requires patients to use glasses for reading and other close tasks. He was the first surgeon in the Chicagoland area to perform "presbyopia reversal" surgery in 1997 and has developed a "multifocal" LASIK procedure to reverse presbyopia. Also, he is one of the few surgeons in the United States who performs a procedure called scleral reinforcement. This procedure helps patients who are excessively nearsighted and are at risk of going blind.

What Dr. Epstein's Patients Are Saying

"Hi my name is Christine Lich, and I live in Antioch Illinois. I have had glasses for thirty years, since before kindergarten, until my lasik surgery with Dr. Epstein. My husband had the surgery two years ago, also with Dr. Epstein, and then I decided to take the plunge and do it myself. It's the best thing I've ever done! Now I can wake up and see my kids, and go swimming with them, without getting splashed on and getting spots on my glasses. I recommend it to everybody!"

"My name is Dave Thomas, and I'm from Schaumburg Illinois. I work out here in the Woodstock area. I've been wanting to get the lasik surgery for about 15 years. I learned of Dr. Epstein through a number of friends and 1-800-I-CAN-SEE. I decided to do the surgery two years ago right before I turned 50 years old. Right now I'm going to be 52 and I am so pleased with the surgery. I came in on a Thursday and had both eyes done; that day I could see perfectly, and the next day I came in for the check up and everything was just wonderful. Dr. Epstein called me that night to make sure that everything was fine and it was. I'm pleased that I've done it, no more do I wake up in the morning reach over to shut off the alarm clock and look for my glasses. What a wonderful feeling!"

"My name is Gene Guetzow. I'm from twin lakes Wisconsin and I've struggled with contacts and glasses for a long time and decided to have lasik surgery with Dr. Epstein. It's been great now! I had this done months ago and I take it for granted how easy everything is now and how good I feel.. so I really appreciate Dr. Epstein and the lasik surgery."

"Hi my name is Jim Giblin. I'm from Chicago, and I had lasik with Dr. Epstein about three years ago. I wore glasses since I was in fifth grade or so, and the lasik procedure was wonderful, and afterward it was life changing. .. to be able to reach over the night stand and NOT have to reach for glasses is wonderful. It's just instinctive of me to reach over for them and to not have to do that anymore is great. I wish I had done it sooner!"

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