Credentials and Qualifications

Dr. Stephen Whiteside has extensive qualifications that Trusted LASIK Surgeons estimates place him among the top LASIK laser eye surgery and refractive surgeons and cataract surgery specialists in the United States.

For your convenience, these credentials and criteria have been grouped by Experience, Premier Patient Care and Credentials. In addition, Dr. Whiteside has included some additional career highlights that while not used by Trusted LASIK Surgeons in our screening process, clearly demonstrate his highly distinguished career as a true pioneer in advancing vision correction surgery throughout the world.

Dr. Whiteside’s qualifications and credentials as one of the top LASIK surgeons and cataract surgery specialists/experts include:

Experience

• Over 12 years experience in laser vision surgery, including LASIK and PRK
• Over 12 years experience in refractive surgery, including laser eye surgery, lens implant surgery (IOLs), and other vision correction procedures
• Over 12 years experience in cataract surgery (including cataract surgery with lens implants)
• Performed over 16,000 LASIK and laser vision procedures
• Performed over 5,000 cataract surgery procedures (including cataract surgery with lens implants (IOLs)
• Principal Investigator for 5 FDA clinical studies for manufacturers of lasers and other devices, products, and/or medications related to vision and general eyecare as well as a Co-Investigator for 10 other FDA clinical studies.
• Refractive and Cataract Surgery Expert Witness: Available to provide expert witness services on behalf of defendants, including case review and expert testimony for cases involving the following refractive and cataract eye surgery procedures
  • LLASIK, PRK laser eye surgery, cataract surgery, intraocular lens (IOL) implant procedures, including toric lenses, phakic lenses, monofocal lenses, multifocal lenses and astigmatic incisions

Premier Patient Care

• “All-Laser”LASIK (bladeless) using the IntraLase laser
• Wavefront Based (“Custom”) LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery
• Use of iLASIK Procedure- WaveScan Technology, IntraLase, and Visx Advanced CustomVue treatments
• Use of Allegretto WaveLight Technology
• Offers complete refractive surgery care
  • LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery
  • Intraocular lens implant surgery (IOLs)including Refractive Lensectomy (RLE) or Clear Lensectomy (CLE) using monofocal lenses, multifocal lenses, as well as phakic implants and toric implants
  • Astigmatic Incisions
  • Cataract Surgery (including cataract surgery with lens implants)
• Management of complications of surgery for new patients who had problems and complications from LASIK surgery or another vision correction operation or cataract surgery performed by another eye doctor
• Other eye surgeons, optometrists, opticians, employees of companies that specialize in vision correction surgery devices or products, or their family members have had their LASIK or other vision correction procedures or cataract surgery performed by Dr. Whiteside

Professional Credentials

• Private Practice: LasikPlus, LCA Vision
  • Medical Director & Chief Surgeon, LasikPlus-Austin
  • Medical Director & Chief Surgeon, LasikPlus-Houston
  • Rick Management Committee, LCA Vision
• Retina Research Center
  • Investigator
• Current Faculty Appointments: (University and/or Teaching Hospital)
  • Visiting Lecturer, The University of Texas at Austin
    • Eye Trauma lecture series for Athletic Dept.
• US Army Medical Department
  • Adjunct Faculty
• Hospital Staff Appointments
  • Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas
    • Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program, Consultation Service
    • LASIK/PRK, Cataract Surgery, Premium IOLs, Phakic IOLs, Comprehensive Ophthalmology
• Professional Societies and Organizations (includes past and present honors and service)
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
    • Leadership Achievement Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology
    • Maintenance of Certification Education Committee
    • Comprehensive Ophthalmology Task Force
    • Knowledge Base Panel, Comprehensive Ophthalmology
    • Editorial Committee, The Profession of Ophthalmology
    • Young Ophthalmologist Committee
• International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS)
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Society (ASCRS)
  • ASCRS Film Festival “Grand Prize” (co-producer with Robert H. Osher, M.D.), American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Annual Symposium, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Best Paper in Session award, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Annual Symposium, Boston, Massachusetts
• Austin Ophthalmological Society
• Texas Medical Association American
• Texas Ophthalmological Association
  • Executive Council Member
  • Treasurer
  • Budget and Finance Committee, Chair
  • Secretary
  • Membership Committee, Chair
  • Young Ophthalmology Chair
• Travis County Medical Society
• Certified by American Board of Ophthalmology
• Consulting Positions (for companies that develop lasers, other ophthalmic products and medications)
  • USAF Surgeon General Refractive Surgery Consultant
• Certification(s) to Train other LASIK and refractive eye surgeons
  • IntraLase
    • IntraLase Proctor
  • Abbot Medical Optics (AMO)
• Publications:
  • Over 10 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles published
  • 1 textbook chapter written
• Over 1 videos and podcasts on ophthalmology
• Presentations, Lectures, Panels, and Courses
  • Over 11 lectures and presentations on research topics at major eye meetings and over 25 presentations and lectures at local and regional meetings.
    • Featured Speaker, 3rd Annual Central Texas Sports Medicine Workshop, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas.
    • Keynote Lecturer, XVth Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, Prague, Czech Republic
• Served on over 10 vision correction and other eye related panels at major ophthalmology meetings
• Taught over 10 courses at major eye meetings

Additional Career Highlights

• Commendation Medal, U.S. Navy and Marine Corp
• Achievement Medal, U.S. Navy
• Flight Surgeon of the Year nominee, U.S. Navy
• Graduated With Honors, U.S. Naval Aerospace Medical Institute
• Outstanding of the Outstanding Intern Award, U.S. Naval Medical Center, San Diego
• Academic and Military Distinction, Naval Officer Indoctrination School
• Cum Laude Ampla et Magna, University of Texas
• Golden Key National Honor Society, University of Texas

Education/Training

• Undergraduate: University of Texas, Austin, Texas, Bachelor of Arts
  • Dean’s Honor Roll
• United States Navy:
  • Naval Officer Indoctrination School, Newport, Rhode Island
    • Graduated 2nd in class, With Academic and Military Distinction, February 1988
• Naval Training Center, San Diego, California
  • Program Director, Corpsman Combat Medical Training Program
  • Junior Medical Officer, Detached
• Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, Pensacola, Florida
  • Aerospace Medicine, Aviation Physiology, and Helicopter Flight Training
  • Graduated 3rd in class, With Honors
• Training Air Wing FOUR, Corpus Christi, Texas
  • Chief Flight Surgeon, Naval Air Training Command
  • Blue Angels Regional Aeromedical Coordinator
  • Medical Director, Search and Rescue Units, US Coast Guard and Navy
  • Lieutenant Commander
• Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, Doctor of Medicine
  • Graduated in Top 25%
• Internship: Naval Medical Center , San Diego, California
  • Transitional Internship, Graduated 2nd in class
• Residency: Storm Eye Institute, Charleston, South Carolina
  • Chief Resident
• Fellowship Training: Center for Research on Ocular Therapeutics and Biodevices, Charleston, South Carolina
  • Refractive Surgery and Cataract Implant Technology
  • FDA and Sponsored Clinical Trials
  • Director, Miyake-Apple Lab Research Center

Surgeon Bio

Stephen Bedford Whiteside, M.D., is a Board-Certified ophthalmologist and a proud native Texan, who has been performing laser vision correction for 13 years, five of which have been spent at LasikPlus. In total, Dr. Whiteside has performed over 18,000 laser vision corrections.

As a former Lieutenant Commander, Naval Flight Surgeon, Dr. Whiteside learned first-hand the magnitude and importance of committing to a high degree of attention to detail, as well as the true significance of personal and professional integrity.

He attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating on the Dean's Honor Roll. During college, he performed a medical mission "Eye Project" in Central America. He went on to Baylor College of Medicine for his medical training. From there, Dr. Whiteside completed his internship at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, graduating 2nd in his class. He was selected for training as a Naval Flight Surgeon, and attended the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida, graduating with honors.

While stationed at Training Air Wing FOUR, he served as Chief Flight Surgeon and was Medical Director of Search and Rescue. He was also a Regional Aeromedical Coordinator for the Blue Angels Air Show. Lieutenant Commander Whiteside was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, as well as the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

He then accepted a position for a research fellowship under the renowned David J. Apple, MD at the Storm Eye Institute, where he was fortunate to work with some of the most respected leaders in internationalophthalmology.

He completed his ophthalmology training at the Storm Eye Institute, serving as Chief Resident during his final year.

After residency, Dr. Whiteside returned home to Texas, where he currently has a refractive surgery practice in Austin and serves as a consultant to the Army Warfighter Refractive Surgery Program at Fort Hood, as well as conducting clinical research trials at the Retina Research Center. He is active in many local, state, and national organizations, and has served on numerous national educational committees in ophthalmology.

He is currently the Secretary of the Texas Ophthalmological Association, and serves on its Executive Council. He is an accomplished author and lecturer, and provides a lecture series on eye trauma at the University of Texas. Dr. Whiteside was recently awarded the Leadership Achievement Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Whiteside has been married to his college sweetheart for 20 years. He has a young son and daughter, and enjoys coaching and watching them in many sports, as well as playing soccer, golf, and tennis, and gardening with his family.

“I find immense personal and professional satisfaction in truly improving our patients’ lives by reducing their life-long burden of impaired vision.” Dr. Stephen Whiteside.

Dallas LASIK Surgeon Dr. Stephen Whiteside, M.D. Curriculum Vitae

Please call (866) 755-2026 FREE or visit LasikPlus today for your FREE LASIK consultation with a trusted expert LASIK eye surgeon and vision care specialist who is also a cataract surgeon with proven expertise.

You now have accurate information and a direct contact to an exceptional surgeon. Dr. Stephen Whiteside and his exceptional staff are looking forward to meeting with you.

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