Professional
Background
Dr. Avi Wallerstein co-founded LASIK MD along with
Dr. Mark Cohen. He is one of its two national medical
directors. As director of refractive surgery at McGill University
and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Dr. Wallerstein teaches
ophthalmologists-in-training and performs surgeries. Dr.
Wallerstein is also assistant professor of ophthalmology at
McGill.
Educational Background
Dr. Wallerstein completed his medical degree at
Queen’s University in Kingston, and then specialized in
ophthalmology at McGill University in Montreal. He then completed
his post-doctoral fellowship training in cornea and laser
refractive surgery at North Shore University Hospital and New York
University in New York. Very few surgeons in Quebec have this
specialized background.
Refractive Experience
Dr. Wallerstein has worked in laser vision
correction clinics throughout North America, Europe and Asia. In
Canada, Dr. Wallerstein has worked for laser vision correction
clinics such as the Focus Eye Center in Ottawa, and
Montreal’s Ophthalmolaser Clinic and Lasik Vision
Corporation, where he acted as the International Medical Director
and co-chairman of the company’s Medical Advisory
Committee.
Dr. Wallerstein is one of 14 surgeons in North America who is a
certified C-LASIK instructor, allowing him to teach the LASIK
procedure to other surgeons. The first laser eye surgery teaching
curriculum for ophthalmology students is attributed to this cornea
specialist. Throughout his refractive career, Dr. Wallerstein has
played an important role in the development of new technologies. As
one of the first surgeons in North America to use Bausch &
Lomb’s Technolas 217 laser and Hansatome Keratome, Dr.
Wallerstein contributes his expertise as an investigator for new
technologies to Bausch & Lomb. Dr. Wallerstein was the first
Montreal surgeon to perform the now standard vertical flap LASIK
technique for myopia. Dr. Wallerstein has also performed thousands
of advanced custom wavefront procedures.
Accomplishments and Awards
Dr. Wallerstein (along with Dr. Mark Cohen) was awarded the Ernst
& Young 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the
professional/financial services category for Quebec. An
accomplished speaker, Dr. Wallerstein has given a number of talks
to the scientific community. He was awarded the American Society of
Cataract and Refractive Surgery Best Scientific Paper prize in 2003
and 2001, for research conducted on treating mixed astigmatism
using the Bausch & Lomb 217 laser. Dr. Wallerstein has acted as
a medical consultant in the development of laser eye surgery
centers worldwide.
Associations and Professional
Memberships
- Royal College of Surgeons of Canada
- Canadian Ophthalmology Society
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- International Society of Refractive Surgery
- American, Canadian and European Societies of Cataract and
Refractive Surgery
Dr. Wallerstein has been involved in the training of the following
surgeons:
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Dr. David Andrews
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Dr. Darren Albert
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Dr. Cal Breslin
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Dr. Jonathan Carr
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Dr. Michel Chevalier
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Dr. Jesse Chew
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Dr. David Fine
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Dr. Arun Lakra
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Dr. James MacNeill
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Dr. Manjula Misra
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Dr. Dan Reinstein
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Dr. Andrew Taylor
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