India is known to be a center of excellence, with a pantheon of highly skilled and experienced doctors equipped with state-of-the-art eye centers. In fact, the best eye care in the world is available in India at a fraction of its cost abroad, making it the preferred destination for patients with eye diseases from across the globe. However, deciding on the best doctor for your eye and vision needs can be a daunting task. In this article, we aim to simplify the process of decision-making for you.
While it is impossible to decide which doctor is the best in the country, here are some criteria for you to choose the one that suits your needs the best.
• Qualifications and Experience: Your eye doctor must be well qualified and experienced in the disease that they are managing. The era of super specialization in ophthalmology is finally here, and most eye doctors have a specific area of expertise. For example, retina, glaucoma, laser vision correction, cataract, etc. A prolific surgeon who has enough experience in the practice of ophthalmology will bring to the table clinical expertise, surgical skill, as well as deep-rooted wisdom so as to provide the best solution for your problem.
• Equipment, Technology, and Team: Your doctor must have access to the advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment and technology, as well as an efficient and dedicated team to deliver consistent, better visual results. This is particularly important for surgical cases, where access to advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment and results in better long-term visual results. For example, AI-guided laser cataract surgery, contour topo guided femtosecond LASIK, and minimal invasive vitreoretinal surgeries may have better outcomes than conventional surgeries.
• Integrity, compassion, and accessibility: A doctor who discusses your fears and aspirations and explains the clinical decision-making process is the best eye doctor since they will customize the treatment plan to your needs and aspirations. This is especially relevant in vision correction (both cataract and spectacles removal) and chronic diseases like glaucoma, ARMD, Dry Eye, etc. Also, in diseases that require frequent and long-term follow-up, it's best to choose a doctor near you or one who is easily accessible.
• Affordable eye care: A doctor with a mercenary attitude or one who is unaffordable in terms of the surgical fees may not be the best choice for you, in case you have limited means.
Note: With these as the basis of decision-making, we have made a list of India's top ten eye doctors. This list is by no means exhaustive or exact and may be called a list of the first amongst equals. The list is also assembled in random order because, as explained earlier, the best cornea specialist in India may not be the best doctor for you in case you have a retinal disorder.
1. Dr. Rahil Chaudhary is the exuberant and dynamic director of the Eye7 group of eye hospitals in Delhi-NCR. He is the pioneer in surgical and technological innovations in eye care, especially laser vision correction for the removal of glasses, refractive, and cataract surgery. To his credit are many records: including the highest number of LASIK specs removal, the first AI-enabled cataract surgery in India. He has won numerous accolades nationally and overseas, but his patients best remember him for his compassion and ever-smiling, charming countenance.
2. Dr. Atul Kumar earlier served as the Chief of Dr. R P Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS. He specializes in vitreoretinal surgery and is the founder of the AK Institute of Ophthalmology in New Delhi.
3. Dr. Lingam Gopal is one of the senior-most vitreoretinal surgeons in the country with a wealth of experience and expertise. He is currently working at the Medical Research Foundation, a unit of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, as a senior vitreoretinal consultant.
4 . Dr. Santosh Honavar is currently working at the Centre for Sight, Hyderabad. He has previously served as the Head of the Department of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Orbit and Ocular Oncology, Associate Director, Patient Care Policies and Planning at the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. He is supposed to be the authority on ocular oncology, oculoplastic and facial aesthetics.
5. Dr. Sanjay Chaudhary is the founder and director of the Eye7-Chaudhary Eye Centre group of hospitals in Delhi-NCR. One of the most proficient and prolific cataracts and refractive eye surgeons in the region, he has over three decades of experience and has trained a generation of ophthalmologists in the area.
6. Dr Ramanjit Sihota is working as Head, Glaucoma Services, in Shroff Eye Centre, New Delhi. With over three decades of experience in the field, she specializes in glaucoma and diseases of the optic nerve. She was earlier the head of the glaucoma unit at Dr RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi.
7. Dr Sundaram Natarajan is the head of the Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital in Wadala, Mumbai. He is known for his work in ocular epidemiology also and is a vitreoretinal surgeon with a particular interest in diabetic eye disease.
8. Dr. Partha Biswas is the director of the B B Eye Foundation, Kolkata, and B B Eye Foundation, VIP. A prolific cataract surgeon, he is well known in the area for his expertise.
9. Dr. M Srinivasan is the Director- Emeritus of the Aravind Eye Care System and also the director of the Aravind Integrated Eye Bank Services. He is one of the pioneers of affordable eye care services, as well as one of the country's best cornea specialists.
10. Dr. Rohit Shetty is a clinician-scientist with a keen interest in diseases of the cornea, including keratoconus and other ectatic disorders. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute, Bangalore, and is also affiliated with the Maastricht University.
