A first for women

Dr. Marguerite McDonald of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island in Rockville Centre and Lynbrook received the International Svyatoslav N. Fyodorov Award on Feb. 5 at the 24th International Congress of the Hellenic Society of Intra Ocular Implant and Refractive Surgery in Athens, Greece. 

McDonald is the first woman to receive the award which is presented bi-annually to distinguished Greek or foreign ophthalmologists for their contribution in the field of refractive surgery.

   “The partners, physicians and staff are pleased and proud that our colleague and friend, Dr. McDonald, was honored by the Hellenic Society,” said Dr. Eric Donnenfeld, a partner at OCLI. “She truly deserves the recognition for her great contributions to ophthalmic surgery, not only as a surgeon but also as a great tutor.”

  McDonald joined OCLI in August 2006. From 1993 until Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, she was the Director of the Southern Vision Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana.

She is now a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the NYU School of Medicine, and an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

  While in New Orleans, she headed the research team investigating the use of the excimer laser for the correction of optical error, and in 1987, she performed the world's first excimer laser treatment to eliminate or reduce the need for glasses and contact lenses. In 1993, she performed the world's first excimer laser surgeries for farsightedness as well.

  The award she received is named after a Russian ophthalmologist, eye surgeon who was the creator of radial keratotomy.