Joseph Dello Russo

Joseph Dello Russo is an ophthalmologist who specializes in laser vision correction. He is currently the director of Dello Russo Laser Vision which operates clinics in Bergenfield, New Jersey, Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York.

Dello Russo is best known as one of 10 surgeons selected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to perform the clinical stage III trials for Lasik starting in 1990, which eventually led to the FDA approval of Lasik in 1996. He has been featured on ABC’s Primetime, Fox News, The New York Times and Newsday.

Life

Dello Russo was born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to New York City at five years of age. He attended New York University's undergraduate program and received his medical degree from New York Medical College in 1962.

Dello Russo started a private eye practice in Bergenfield, NJ in 1968. In 1988, he spoke with LASIK inventor, Stephen Trokel, regarding the FDA's phase I trail of the VISX excimer laser and its potential use for laser vision correction. In the following year, he participated in the first ever excimer laser correction seminar at Tulane University with Marguerite McDonald, who was the world's first surgeon to perform excimer laser surgery. Following the seminar, Dello Russo became the first U.S. surgeon to place a commercial order for an excimer laser and joined the FDA team of researchers. Between 1991 and 1996, Dello Russo participated in the FDA’s phase III trials of the VISX Excimer laser.

In 1997, Dello Russo was the first to be granted special approval by the FDA to treat farsightedness using the VISX laser. He has participated in many other FDA research trials as well, helping to introduce technologies that are now standards of care: “Laser” cataract surgery (Phaco) in 1975, ambulatory cataract surgery in 1978, YAG lasers in 1983 and foldable lens implants in 1985.

Dello Russo has been a resident of Alpine, New Jersey.[1] His son, Jeffrey Dello Russo, is also an ophthalmologist and laser vision surgeon.

References

  1. ↑ Martin, Antoinette. "A Chill in High-End Alpine", The New York Times, August 20, 2010. Accessed April 7, 2011 ."Alpine has been a haven for entertainment and sports figures who want to hang their hats somewhere private: The Yankees pitcher C. C. Sabathia moved in last year; the rapper Sean Combs is a resident, as is the prominent laser eye surgeon Dr. Joseph V. Dello Russo Jr."

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