At the forefront of laser eye surgery research
Since the beginning of his career, Professor Reinstein – founder and Medical Director of London Vision Clinic – has been one of the small group of experts pioneering the latest advances in laser eye surgery results and research. They regularly publish laser eye surgery scientific articles and book-chapters in peer-reviewed publications.
Today, the London Vision Clinic demonstrates its commitment to excellence by employing full-time research staff including Oxford and Cambridge educated Research Manager, Dr Tim Archer, and Research Optometrist, Dr Ryan Vida.
In April 2018, Professor Reinstein alongside Dr Timothy Archer and Mr Glenn Carp authored The Surgeon’s Guide to SMILE: Small Incision Lenticule Extraction textbook. This book is designed as a surgical video-fellowship focusing on the granular details of every aspect of a patient preparation and management with special attention to how to perform a perfect routine SMILE procedure. The protocols and methods are sourced in both the published scientific evidence and the extensive experience of the London Vision Clinic team.
Few laser eye surgeons monitor their outcomes scientifically. Most laser eye surgeons who do, only review a small sample of their total procedures and then rarely publish these in peer-reviewed medical journals.
We use this system to calibrate the laser and refine our surgical technique for every single eye, ensuring it is precisely tuned to the individual patient’s needs.
Very few laser eye surgery clinics have staff devoted to LASIK eye surgery and analysis. But for us, research is vital in ensuring our patients get the very best treatment possible.
Our Research Manager and Programmer, Dr Tim Archer, joined the London Vision Clinic in 2003 to research, analyse, and publish the Clinic’s pioneering work in refractive surgery. He is a graduate both of Oxford University, where he gained an MA in Mathematics, and of Cambridge University, where he completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science. He has also recently completed a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University.
Most clinics only review a proportion of their surgical outcomes, but Tim works with our surgeons to analyse the results of every single treatment, teasing out opportunities to perfect our approach even further. Tim has applied his computer science background to build and implement various software solutions to maximize the efficiency of data analysis at London Vision Clinic. These have included building the PIQASO II database to automate the analysis of refractive surgery outcomes, as well as managing the Electronic Medical Records system.
Over the last 14 years, Tim has built up the London Vision Clinic research output to be producing more than one scientific peer-reviewed publication each month, as well as overseeing the preparation of over 80 presentations at international conferences each year. This work culminated in April 2018 with the publication of a textbook on SMILE, which he co-authored with our surgeons Prof Reinstein and Mr Carp. This textbook was produced to accompany the training courses run by London Vision Clinic for refractive surgeons and the Postgraduate Diploma in Cataract and Refractive Surgery at Ulster University, for which he produced a significant proportion of the lecture materials together with the team at London Vision Clinic.
He is also a patient himself, having had his own laser eye surgery with Professor Reinstein in December 2004. Not only that, but Tim’s parents and brother have also had laser eye surgery at the London Vision Clinic. It’s difficult to imagine a clearer sign of faith in a surgeon than recommending him to your closest loved ones.
Born and bred in the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire area, when he is not knee-deep in LASIK and SMILE research, Tim enjoys golf, tennis and football, and ‘playing around with formulas and macros in Excel’. He is a devoted husband and father to a son and daughter.
Dr Vida joined the London Vision Clinic in early 2017 and joins Dr Archer in world-leading refractive and ocular surgery research. He is a transplant from the United States where he gained a degree in Biology and a Doctorate in Optometry. He then went on to do a post-doctorate residency in refractive and anterior segment surgery in Nashville, Tennessee. He had the privilege of training and working with some of the top surgeons in the world. Prior to coming to the UK to join our research department, Dr Vida was the clinical director at a large cataract and refractive surgery practice in Los Angeles, California. It was during those 5 years in Los Angeles that he developed the love for the research and technology that drives the industry forward.
Outside of the clinic, Ryan’s hobbies include mountain biking and snowboarding. Along with being active, he loves travelling with his wife and 2-year-old son, and his favourite time of day is reading with his son in the morning before work.
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