Laser & Cataract
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With over 20 years of being involved with Laser Eye Surgery, you can be reassured that you are in expert hands during every step of the journey, to bringing your world into focus.
Our team fully understands that good vision helps you get the best out of your life and that is why we pride ourselves on having reduced the dependency of wearing glasses and contacts, to thousands’ of people from all walks of life.
So let’s meet the Team
MBBS, MS (Ophth), FRCS Ophth (Edinburgh), FRANZCO; PG Dip MS
Bheema strongly believes that eye care should be individualised for each patient with clear communication in a simple understandable manner.
He has been a Specialist Eye Surgeon in Waikato since 2008. Special interests are Refractive laser & lens exchange surgeries, cataract surgery, Medical retina including age related macular degeneration & diabetic retinal diseases and general ophthalmology.
Bheema is a Fellow of Royal Colleges of Edinburgh (FRCS Ed) and a Fellow of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO).
Bheema has private clinics at Laser Eye Centre and Hamilton Eye Clinic.
Bheema’s dedication to ophthalmology is matched only by his passion for life outside of medicine. He is deeply committed to his wife Sudha, a pathologist, and their adult son and daughter.
When asked what he enjoys most about his job, he says: “Giving patients the gift of sight and seeing the smile on their faces after a successful intervention.”
MBChB FRANZCO
Michael has an uncompromised commitment to providing excellent patient centred care. He completed his Specialist training with the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Ophthalmology in New Zealand after completing his medical training at the University of Auckland. He then completed subspecialist fellowships in Glaucoma and Refractive surgery, in the UK at Royal Devon, Exeter Eye Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
Since 2004, Michael has continued his specialist practice in NZ, focussing on cataract and refractive laser surgery and specialist glaucoma management.
He is also a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Waikato Hospital and Head of Department since 2022. He has an honorary role as Senior Lecturer at University of Auckland Medical School.
Michael has private clinics at Laser Eye Centre and Hamilton Eye Clinic.
When asked what motivated him to pursue a career in this industry, his reply is: “Maintaining or restoring a person’s sight is such a rewarding profession. Ophthalmology is also a branch of medicine that is constantly changing as new technologies and pharmaceuticals are developed. Keeping up with the latest technologies and treatments keeps it very interesting.”
FCOphth(SA), MMed(Ophth)
Malcolm has a subspecialty interest in Cornea and Anterior Segment as well as Refractive surgery including refractive lens exchange.
His undergraduate and postgraduate specialist training was done in Stellenbosch in Cape Town South Africa and fellowship training in the UK.
Malcom has served in numerous leadership roles, including the Executive Committee of the SA Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and he has many years of refractive experience with the Lasersight group in South Africa.
Malcolm has private clinics at Laser Eye Centre and Rotorua Eye Clinic covering the Lakes districts of Rotorua and Taupo.
When Malcom is asked what motivated him to pursue a career in this industry, his reply is: “Ophthalmology is a wonderful part of medicine with close people contact and fast- paced technological advances facilitating technical and rewarding surgical procedures. Refractive surgery is one of the pinnacle of this aspect of medicine and provides people with wonderful options to optimise their vision and quality of life”.
MB ChB 2000 Auckland; FRANZCO 2013
Ben grew up in the Waikato, attending Hamilton Boys’ High School before completing his medical degree at the University of Auckland.
He has undergone further fellowship training in the UK, with a year in Exeter at the West of England Eye Unit and a year as a Glaucoma Fellow in the Glaucoma Unit at the Bristol Eye Hospital.
Ben is a member of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. His special interests are cataract & refractive surgery, glaucoma and general ophthalmology.
Ben has private clinics at Laser Eye Centre and Hamilton Eye Clinic.
When you ask Ben what he most enjoys about the profession, his reply is: “I enjoy the improvement in symptoms and quality of life from performing cataract surgery and preserving vision. Ophthalmology provides the best opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.”
BSc, MSc Clinical Optometry, TPA, NZAO
I graduated as an Optometrist in Vienna, Austria in 1992, where I also gained a Diploma in Contact Lens Practice. I hold a BSC in Optometry from the Salus University, Philadelphia, USA. After completing my master’s postgraduate studies in 2008, I was awarded a Masters Degree in Clinical Optometry from the Danube University, Austria and the Salus University in Philadelphia,USA. I also gained a Graduate Certificate in ocular therapeutics from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.
Eye-care has always been my passion, having been 'born into' a family with a long tradition in Optometry. Actually my great grandfather Johann Svadlenak founded our business in Vienna, Austria in 1895. After his son and then my father I took over and successfully further expanded the Optometry business. In addition I held lectures in Optics at the Vienna Academy of Optometry and was a board member of the guild of health professions. I was involved in the professional education for Opticians and Audiometrists.
After falling in love with New Zealand while travelling here my family and I decided to move to Hamilton and join the Laser Eye Centre. My special interests are refractive Laser Vision Correction and a variety of other refractive treatments to free my patients from the need of glasses.
In my spare time I love to spend time on the water, take a tiki tour through this awesome country and have fun times with my family and friends.
MSc, NZAO Optometrist
Anton Frank graduated as an Optometrist in Austria in 1986, where he also gained a Diploma in Contact Lens Practice. After completing post graduate studies in Germany and the US, he has been awarded a Masters Degree in Clinical Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry USA in 1997.
He was the first Optometrist in continental Europe being awarded the European Diploma in Optometry. In 2006 he gained a Certificate in Ocular Pharmacology from the Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He moved from Austria to (lovely) New Zealand in 2002 and joined Dr. Doug Cox in Feb. 2003, assisting with clinical assessments. He also works in private optometric practice in Hamilton.
B. Optom (Hons) TPA, Optometrist
I graduated as an Optometrist from the University of Auckland in 2012. I graduated with Honours and Therapeutic Endorsement meaning that I can prescribe ocular medications. In 2016 I also obtained my glaucoma accreditation which means I can prescribe ocular medication for the treatment of glaucoma allowing me to have worked part time at the Hamilton Eye Clinic, assisting Dr Merriman with his glaucoma and cataract clinics.
I joined the Laser Eye Centre team in 2015 after two years working in private practice in Tauranga and Hamilton.
I published an article in an optometry medical journal ‘Clinical and Experimental Optometry’ in January 2015 which was the Editor’s Choice and lead article of that issue. It was entitled “Vision in Children with Down Syndrome”. I have also given a lecture on this topic at the University of Auckland in 2012.
I enjoy the more specialised areas of optometry, such as laser vision correction and ocular disease. I really enjoy working alongside the ophthalmologists and the other optometrists to help improve people’s quality of life rather than just selling them another pair of glasses.
In my spare time I enjoy swimming and playing waterpolo, as well as spending time with family and friends.