George W. Rozakis, MD
One of medicine's modern miracles in the late 1990's has been the development and widespread use of Laser Surgery to correct vision without the use of glasses or contacts. Living in Lakewood is one of the pioneers of this new technology, Dr. George W. Rozakis. He resides here with his wife, Betty, and their four children. His interests center around his family, boating, basketball, philosophy and computers.
The character and old-world charm of Lakewood captured Dr. George and Betty Rozakis' attention upon their return to Cleveland 14 years ago. They reside in the Clifton Park area, and take great pride in telling the history of the neighborhood. They frequently stroll down the hill of Clifton Beach to capture the radiant sunsets. Dr. and Betty have four children, three boys and one daughter. Their daughter, Christina, is a recent graduate of Lakewood High School. Dr. George and Betty Rozakis were quite impressed with the quality of education she received, both academically and socially.
Betty Rozakis serves on the Executive Board of Case Western Reserve University's Continuing Education Volunteer Program which offers courses at Lakewood Library, as well as many other locations in the Greater Cleveland and Akron areas. The entire family has participated in the activities and classes at both the Lakewood YMCA and the Beck Center.
For the past 5 years, Dr. Rozakis has coached the girls' basketball team at his church. He has recently been invited, and is most honored, to speak to the church's youth about career development. Dr. Rozakis strongly believes in listening to advice and learning from the experiences of professors and elders. He has mentors who have helped him throughout his life, and have made a positive impact on the directions he chooses.
Past:
Dr. Rozakis received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology. He then studied medicine at Cornell University-New York Hospital and Ophthalmology at the Duke Eye Center under Robert Machemer, MD. At Duke, he developed novel methods to deliver drugs to the vitreous, the erodible mask methodology now being used by Summit Technology, and photochemical approaches to treat subretinal neovascularization. One of his ideas resulted in a Ph.D. dissertation through the Department of Chemistry.
After his training , Rozakis became the second PRK investigator in the United States with Summit Technology. His interest in refractive surgery led him to Bogota in 1992, where he learned and later mastered the art of automated lamellar keratoplasty, a subject on which he wrote a textbook, Refractive Lamellar Keratoplasty, which trained hundreds of surgeons worldwide in the art of surgery with the microkeratome. Recognizing the combined value of automated lamellar keratoplasty and the excimer laser, today called Lasik, Dr. Rozakis designed and built his own excimer laser and performed studies under an Institutional Review Board and later an FDA Investigational Device Exemption. He developed his own algorithms for myopia, myopic astigmatism, hyperopia, hyperopic astigmatism, decentered ablations and patented topography guided Lasik, a valuable technique with which to create customized laser treatments. The laser Dr. Rozakis developed is currently on the world market. As a pioneer in ALK and Lasik, Dr. Rozakis helped Dr. Jairo Hoyos in the growth of the Keratomileusis Study Group of which Dr. Rozakis is scientific coordinator and recipient of the 1998 Jose Barraquer Award, an award voted upon by leaders in refractive surgery.
As Dr. Rozakis performed Lasik he was not satisfied with the results in high myopia, a concern which led him to the identification of a Russian method to implant posterior chamber intraocular lenses. The Russian company, in the process of transferring this technology to the United States approached Dr. Rozakis and asked him to be their medical director. Dr. Rozakis, along with Dr. Avalos in Mexico then began the process of evaluating and reality checking this revolutionary technology. Dr. Rozakis was instrumental in bringing this technology to the United States. The company has now blossomed into IVI-Medennium.
Present:
Dr. Rozakis was recently honored at the Duke Eye Center by the naming of the Rozakis Scholarship for residents who show aptitude in the area of Ophthalmic Research. Dr. Rozakis is currently joint medical director of the Duke Advanced Lasik Course, an international meeting held yearly in the United States.
Northeastern Eye Center (NEEC) is recognized as a world leading facility
for refractive surgical procedures.
Future:
Northeastern Eye Center prides itself on having the latest equipment
to treat disease and when it does not, refers patients to other centers
of excellence. This desire to be technologically advanced stems
from
Dr. Rozakis's main goal is to provide patients with the best possible care, and the leading technological advances in refractive surgical procedures. It is his objective to educate the patients on their general eye health and their refractive surgery options.