The Department of Ophthalmology provides consulting, diagnostic and treatment services for all conditions affecting the eye. Services are provided in the highly modern Regenstein Eye Center. Corneal and vitreoretinal surgery are also strong clinical services at Rush. Both have the largest academic faculties in the Midwest. A major focus of the patient care, education and research activities of the department involves refractive surgery, including laser vision correction. The excimer laser is used to treat refractive disorders (photorefractive keratectomy or PRK and LASIK), resurface the cornea (phototherapeutic keratectomy or PTK) and conduct research on future applications of the technology.

The Department of Ophthalmology at Rush provides patient care services in the following subspecialty areas:

• Comprehensive ophthalmology
• Cornea and external diseases
• Glaucoma
• Neuro-ophthalmology
• Ocular oncology
• Oculoplastic surgery
• Ophthalmic pathology
• Pediatric ophthalmology
• Refractive surgery
• Retina and vitreous disease
• Uveitis and ocular inflammation

Kirk H. Packo, MD, is chairperson of the Department of Ophthalmology at Rush. Eye care specialists at Rush have been named among Chicago’s best by Castle Connolly Ltd., a well-respected source of information about U.S. health care providers and institutions. The department includes more than 30 general and subspecialist ophthalmologists who are members of the faculty of Rush Medical College. (View a list of ophthalmologists at Rush.)