Tampa LASIK Surgeon Dr. Stephen Updegraff, M.D.

Dr. Stephen Updegraff, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Stephen Updegraff is a fellowship-trained refractive surgeon and pioneering LASIK specialist in Tampa Bay, Florida. He also specializes in performing cataract surgery with high-technology lens implants, in addition to other advanced refractive surgery procedures.

Dr. Updegraff regularly treats patients seeking LASIK and other refractive procedures as well as cataract surgery from St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Sarasota, Lutz Wesley Chapel, Land 'O Lakes, and Lakeland and throughout Florida.

Appointments and Information

Updegraff Vision

Precision LASIK by Updegraff

Toll-Free: 888.USA.2015 (888.872.2015)

St. Petersburg office: 727.551.2020

Tampa office: 813.223.2020

Office Addresses:

St. Petersburg- Updegraff Vision
1601 38th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33713

Tampa Office- Updegraff Vision
13321 North 56th Street
Tampa, FL 33617

To contact Dr. Updegraff, please visit:Contact Updegraff Vision

Call or email Dr. Stephen Updegraff today at contact@lasik4me.com and please mention Trusted LASIK
Surgeons for your complimentary LASIK consultation with a true LASIK expert who is a trusted eye surgeon, vision care specialist and cataract surgeon. Dr. Updegraff's exceptional qualifications are listed below.

Patient Testimonials

"After asking around about LASIK, I kept hearing about Dr. Steve Updegraff. Everyone I spoke to about him kept saying things like "the best" and how smooth the whole procedure was. After making a call, the staff at Updegraff Vision took over. I was able to fly direct in to St Pete and once I hit the ground, everything was taken care of... transportation, hotels, everything. The entire trip was simple and easy! As a diver, fisherman and pilot, the clarity and vision that LASIK with Dr. Updegraff has allowed me has really opened the world in a lot of ways. I see more fish, can film underwater and fly safer with zero strain and headaches. I wish I would have done this years ago!"-

- Jose Wejebe, world-class angler, film producer, creator of the award-winning Outdoor Channel show
Spanish Fly

"I have been amazed by the results from LASIK. My vision is stronger than ever, and I'm no longer bothered by fatigue and irritation from extensive use of contacts. I thank Dr. Updegraff and his entire staff for the smoothest and easiest procedure imaginable. They exceeded all of my lofty expectations."
- Matt Silverman, President, Tampa Bay Rays

"When Steve first introduced us to LASIK in 1995, I was very interested. But, in my field excellent vision is critical. I wanted to see an excellent track record with long-term follow-up. With 30,000 procedures in 11+ years, we have that. We are very fortunate to have a pioneer in the LASIK procedure with unmatched expertise. More importantly, Steve is a consummate professional. His personality, compassion, ethics, intelligence, judgment, and attention to detail are outstanding. As a physician I understand the importance of these qualities and have a great respect for and confidence in Steve. In short, he is a doctor's doctor and I would not have had LASIK performed by anyone else. With great thanks to Steve and entire staff,"
- John Kirk, M.D.

To learn more about what former patients of Dr. Updegraff have to say, please visit: Patient
Testimonials for Dr. Stephen Updegraff

Credentials and Qualifications

Dr. Stephen Updegraff has extensive qualifications that Trusted LASIK Surgeons estimates place him among the top 1% of 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. Updegraff 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. Updegraff's qualifications and credentials as one of the top LASIK surgeons and cataract surgery experts include:

Experience

• Member of the Bogotá, Colombia, team that helped develop LASIK
• Performed the third LASIK surgery in the U.S. during the FDA clinical trials
• Performed the first LASIK surgery in Asia while teaching it to hundreds of Chinese doctors
• Introduced bladeless, All-Laser LASIK to Tampa Bay
• Currently the only surgeon on Florida's west coast with the all-new iFS femtosecond laser - the fastest
  laser for All-Laser LASIK
• Performed the first Crystalens lens implant surgery in Florida, the morning the FDA approved it
• Currently working as a consultant with the latest advancements in laser cataract surgery
• Over 17 years experience in laser vision surgery, including LASIK and PRK
• Over 20 years experience in refractive surgery, including high-technology lens implant surgery (IOLs), and
  other vision correction procedures
• Over 19 years experience in cataract surgery (including cataract surgery with lens implants)
• Performed over 50,000 LASIK and laser vision procedures
• Performed over 35,000 lens implant (IOL) procedures
• Performed over 30,000 cataract surgery procedures
• Performed over 1,000 corneal transplant surgery operations
• Co-Investigator for an FDA clinical study
• Refractive and Cataract Surgery Expert Witness: Over 15 years experience providing expert witness
  services on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, including case review and expert testimony for cases
  involving the following refractive and cataract eye surgery procedures:
  • LASIK, PRK laser eye surgery, corneal transplants, cataract surgery, intraocular lens (IOL)
    implant procedures, including toric lenses, phakic lenses, monofocal lenses, multifocal lenses, and
    accommodating lenses
  • Reviewed or provided expert witness testimony for over 50 refractive surgery cases

Premier Patient Care

• “All-Laser” LASIK (bladeless) using the iFS femtosecond laser (Dr. Updegraff is currently the only
  surgeon on Florida's west coast with this new technology)
• Wavefront Based (“Custom”) LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery
• 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, and accommodating lenses, as well as phakic implants and toric implants
  • Implantable Contact Lenses (ICLs)
  • Corneal Transplants, including PKP, DSAEK, DSEK
  • Other refractive surgery procedures: Limbal Relaxing Incisions
  • No-patch, no-stitch Cataract Surgery (including cataract surgery with lens implants) using the smallest incision available in the world
• Management of complications of surgery for new patients who had problems from a LASIK or another vision correction procedure or cataract surgery performed by another doctor
• Doctors, eye surgeons, lawyers, professional athletes, agents (FBI, ATF, Homeland Security), snipers, and
  nearly every member of Dr. Updegraff's family have chosen him to perform their LASIK surgery or cataract
  surgery with high-tech lens implants.

Professional Credentials

• Current Faculty Appointments
  • University of South Florida,
    University of South Florida Department of Opthalmology
    • Assistant Clinical Professor of Opthalmology
• Hospital Staff Appointments
  • St. Anthony's Hospital
  • Bayfront Medical Center
  • All Children's Hospital
  • Edward White Hospital
• Past Hospital Staff Appointments
  • Charity Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • University of Texas Hermann Eye Center, Houston, Texas
  • Rapid City Regional Hospital, Rapid City, South Dakota
• Professional Society and Organizations (Membership and Affiliations)
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
    • Achievement Award
    • Past Member of Skills Transfer Advisory Board
  • International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS)
    • Kritzinger Memorial Award, International Society of Refractive Surgery & South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
    • Best Presentation, International Society of Refractive Surgery, "Lamellar Enhancement and Lamellar Surgery: LASIK Enhancement Pearls Comparison Between Thin and Thick Flaps Cut with the MORIA Carriazo-Barraquer Keratome"
    • Past representative on the International Society of Refractive Surgery Global Council - USA
  • American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
    • Best Paper of Session, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, "Prospective Evaluation of Intraoperative Epithelial Sloughing: Visual Outcomes and Management", coauthors: Mark P. Strosser, OD; Daniel Behn, O.D.
  • American College of Opthalmic Surgeons
    • Founding Member
  • Other Eye Societies and Professional Groups
    • Pine Ridge Eye Study Group
  • Certified by American Board of Ophthalmology; Recertified 2008
  • Consulting Positions (for companies that develop lasers, other ophthalmic products and medications)
    • Bausch & Lomb Surgical, 2000-present
    • MORIA, 1998-2002
    • Lasersight, Medical Advisory Board, 1997-1998
    • Chiron/Technolas, 1994-1998
  • VISX Laser
    - AMO
  • IntraLase laser- AMO
  • Technolas - Bausch and Lomb
• Reviewer:
  • American Journal of Ophthalmology (Past Reviewer)
  • Archives of Ophthalmology (Past Reviewer)
  • Journal of Refractive Surgery (Past Reviewer)
• Over 13 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles published
• Over 6 text book chapters published
• Over 100 lectures on research topics at major eye meetings of professional organizations including:
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
  • Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
  • International Society of Refractive Surgery
  • International Congress on Cataract and Refractive Surgery
  • International Society of Refractive Keratoplasty
  • International Excimer Laser Symposium
  • South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
  • Welsh Cataract Congress
• Served on over 50 vision correction and other eye related panels at major ophthalmology meetings
• Taught over 20 courses at major eye meetings

Inventions and Patents

Dr. Updegraff has developed numerous instruments and techniques that have been used all over the world by other ophthalmologists. Due to his expertise, manufacturers often seek him for his advice.

Dr. Updegraff has been recognized as the inventor of seven U.S. patents related to LASIK and microsurgery of the eye. Some of the devices he was awarded a U.S. patent as the inventor for include:

• Apparatus and Method for Mechanically Dilating the Pupil of an Eye, U.S. Patent #5,374,272
• Method of Radial Keratotomy Employing a Vibrating Cutting Blade, U.S. Patent #5,405,355
• Corneal Surface Marker and Marking Method for Reducing Irregular Astigmatism and Debris/
  Epithelium in the Interface During Lamellar Corneal Flap/Cap, Surgery, U.S. Patent #5,697,945
• Corneal Surface Marker and Marking Method for Reducing Irregular Astigmatism During Lamellar (LASIK) Corneal Surgery, U.S. Patent #5,752,967
• Corneal Irrigation Cannula and Method of Using, U.S. Patent #5,755,700
• Corneal Flap or Cap Elevator, U.S. Patent #5,779,711
• Corneal Irrigation Cannula, U.S. Patent #5,800,406

Additional Career Highlights

• Best Doctors in America list (peer-selected member, 2010-present)
• US News & World Report's Top Doctors list (peer selected member, 2010-present)
• Leading Innovators in Premium IOL implant surgery, Premier Surgeon (2010-present)
• Best Paper of Session, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, "Prospective Evaluation of Intraoperative Epithelial Sloughing: Visual Outcomes and Management"; co-authors: Mark P. Strosser,
  O.D., Daniel Behn, O.D. (April 2009)
• Dean's Council on Science, member, Eckerd College (September 2009 - Present)
• Distinguished Citizen Award, West Central Florida Council Boy Scouts of America (2009)
• Center of Excellence Award, Crystalens (April 2008)
• Prevent Blindness - Board of Trustees (May 2003 - December 2005)
• Outstanding Business of the Year Award, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce (May 2003)
• Best Presentation, International Society of Refractive Surgery, "Lamellar Enhancement and Lamellar Surgery: LASIK Enhancement Pearls Comparison Between Thin and Thick Flaps Cut with the MORIA Carriazo-Barraquer Keratome (October 2000)
• VISX STAR Surgeon, Top 50 Excimer Laser Surgeons, United States (1998, 1999, 2000)
• William H. Kadel Outstanding Career Achievement Award, Eckerd College (1999)

Community Involvement and Charitable Activities

Dr. Updegraff has been actively involved in his local community and charities for a long time. His recent charitable activities include:

• Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Fashion Funds the Cure sponsor
• Boy Scouts of America, sponsor
• American Heart Association, sponsor/donor
• St. Anthony's Hospital Auxiliary, Fall Luncheon/Fashion Show sponsor
• Brookwood, sponsor
• Eyecare America, volunteer
• St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Battle of the Minds sponsor
• Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, softball team sponsor
• Seminole Chiefs football team, sponsor
• Herman Lucerne Memorial Fishing Championship, sponsor

Education and Training

• Undergraduate: B.S., Biology; Eckerd College St. Petersburg, FL
• Medical School: Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine; Hershey, PA
• Internship: Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
• Residency: Louisiana State University Eye Center; New Orleans, LA
• Ophthalmology Knowledge Assessment Award
• Most Outstanding Presentation (Residents' Day), "Pupillary Seal Syndrome"
• Most Outstanding Presentation (Residents' Day), "A New and Economical Integrated Orbital Implant"
• Nikon Resident Diagnosis of the Month: Acanthamoeba Keratitis on a 12-year-old girl
• Fellowship Training: Cornea, Refractive, and Laser Surgery Fellowship, Hermann Eye Center, The
  University of Texas-Houston Houston, TX
• Research Elective: Ophthalmic Pathology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, MD

Surgeon Bio

Stephen Updegraff, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Stephen Updegraff, M.D., FACS, is a world-class refractive surgeon and LASIK pioneer based in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Dr. Updegraff earned his M.D. from Penn State College of Medicine, completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Louisiana State University Eye Center, and then received subspecialty fellowship training in Cornea, Refractive, and Laser Surgery at the University of Texas-Houston's Hermann Eye Center.

Dr. Updegraff has been intimately involved in the development of LASIK since the beginning of his career, when he served as a member of a team of ophthalmologists responsible for introducing LASIK to the world. He performed the third LASIK surgery in the U.S. during the FDA clinical trials, and then went on to perform the first LASIK in
Asia, where he demonstrated the procedure to hundreds of Chinese doctors.

Dr. Updegraff has earned seven patents for techniques and technologies used in LASIK and microsurgery of the eye. He often travels throughout the world to attend and lecture at conferences and other events, and he continues to publish about advancements and issues in LASIK and refractive surgery.

Throughout his career, Dr. Updegraff has been recognized many times for his contributions to LASIK and refractive surgery. Several notable awards and honors include the Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology; the Kritzinger Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the South African
Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery; and the Best Paper in Session Award from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr. Updegraff has also been recognized as a Leading Innovator in Premium IOL implant surgery by Premier Surgeon, and has been selected for inclusion on the peer-selected Best Doctors in
America list and the U.S. News & World Report Top Doctors list.

Since 1996, Dr. Updegraff has been the Medical Director of Updegraff Vision in Tampa Bay, Florida. He is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Updegraff is also a founding member of the American College of Ophthalmic Surgery, as well as a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the International Society of Refractive Surgery.

View Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Stephen Updegraff

Please call or visit Updegraff Vision today for your complimentary 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 Updegraff and his
dedicated, professional staff are looking forward to meeting with you.