David J. Tanzer

David J. Tanzer, MD was the former Surgical Director for the Navy Refractive Surgery Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, and Specialty Leader and Surgeon General’s advisor for the Navy Refractive Surgery Program.

 

Dr. Tanzer devoted the past 17 years of his 21-year Naval career to researching and understanding the unique issues of refractive surgery in a military population, including corneal physiology and response to surgery under adverse environmental conditions. The safety, efficacy, quality of vision, and visual performance effects following intraocular and laser vision refractive surgery and the operational impact of these techniques, have been established through Dr. Tanzer’s research. Under his direction, refractive surgery has been proven safe and effective for all aspects of military service.

 

During his military career Dr. Tanzer received numerous citations and medals for his contributions in the field of ophthalmology and refractive surgery which resulted in approval of modern laser vision correction for Department of Defense warfighters and naval aviators. He was also a Naval Flight Surgeon and former Deputy Wing Surgeon, Third Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, CA. He has logged more than 500 flight hours in 17 different types of military aircraft, including 300 hours in the F/A18 Hornet, as well as 12 combat sorties and 78 carrier arrested landings.

 

Dr. Tanzer is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with two undergraduate Bachelor’s degrees, and of Georgetown Medical School, which he attended on a 4-year Navy Health Professions Scholarship. He completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, and received fellowship training in Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery at the Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California. He holds faculty positions as associate professor of ophthalmology at Loma Linda University, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Shiley Eye Center, University of California, San Diego, and is assistant professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD.

 

Dr. Tanzer has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on various topics in ophthalmology and is a medical reviewer for several ophthalmology journals. He has participated in several protocols evaluating the latest techniques in refractive surgery, including wavefrontguided PRK versus LASIK, microkeratome and excimer laser comparison trials, and toric phakic intraocular lenses as well as assessing the operational effectiveness of refractive surgery in various military occupations, including Naval aviators.

 

Recognized Worldwide as an expert in the field of Refractive Surgery, Dr. Tanzer is now in private practice at TLC Laser Eye Centers San Diego. The TLC San Diego center has state of the art testing technology and offers the latest in surgical options for vision correction. Patients interested in meeting with Dr. Tanzer can do so by calling 1 855 767 2555 to schedule their appointment.