With over 14,000 ocular surgeries (LASIK, PRK, cataract, and glaucoma), Keith F. Dahlhauser, M.D., F.A.C.S. has the experience; but it is more than just experience that counts.
He says, “The most experienced hair cutter is the barber at boot camp, but would you want him to give you a haircut before your wedding?” Just as important as experience in surgery is attention to detail, modern equipment, concern for the patient, and monitoring of results. Therefore, most surgical patients are seen preoperatively and postoperatively by the same ophthalmologist/surgeon at Cascade Eye & Skin Centers.
Prior to joining Cascade, Dr. Dahlhauser was a Lieutenant Colonel and chief of cataract surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center, where he spent 10 years teaching residents how to perform cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Dahlhauser received the “Teacher of the Year” award in six of those 10 years and gained experience dealing with unusual complications. The medical center also gave him a $10,000 grant for introducing modern cataract surgery techniques. In addition to performing hundreds of glaucoma surgeries at Madigan, he also ran the glaucoma clinic at the American Lake VA Hospital. Some of his favorite experiences come from his twice yearly voluntary humanitarian missions to Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, or Malawi Africa; where he performs surgery for the poor and underprivileged. He is currently president of Cascade Eye and Skin, on the Pierce County Medical Society Board (serving as President in 2015), and on the Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Board.
Dr. Dahlhauser grew up in Illinois, received a B.S. in Biochemistry, a medical degree at the University of Iowa, and completed his internship at Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as an ophthalmology residency at the University of Minnesota. He is board certified in ophthalmology, scoring in the top 10 percent, and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. His research publications cover topics such as anterior capsule contraction after cataract surgery, scar limitation with refractive surgery, and problems with LASIK microkeratomes.
