Out of Sight
Led by Dr. Sanjay Kamat, Bucks Eye Specialists uses technology and top-tier service to preserve and protect patients’ vision.
“It’s amazing to consider some of the things I can do now.”
So says Sanjay Kamat, D.O., owner of Bucks Eye Specialists in Yardley, who works closely with patients to treat nearly every condition, disease, or disorder that affects the human eye: cataracts; glaucoma; macular degeneration; dry eye; ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid, which can compromise one’s vision); blepharitis (chronic inflammation of the eyelids); and diabetic retinopathy (damage to retinal blood vessels caused by diabetes).
Dr. Kamat’s areas of specialty include surgery to correct refractive error, such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia (the inability to see things up close, due to the aging process). In many of these surgeries, Dr. Kamat can also add implantable contact lenses to help a patient see the world more clearly—often getting them back to 20/20 vision. This is a significant benefit to patients, he suggests, as it may spare them from a second trip to the operating room.
“More people than ever want premium lenses following cataract surgery or glaucoma surgery,” says Dr. Kamat, who received his board certification in ophthalmology through the American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AOCOO-HNS). “A lot of the people we’re treating are coming out of the surgery with 20/20 vision, without the need for corrective lenses. They know it’s possible, and now they expect it.”
Ready to Help
As a private practitioner, Dr. Kamat has been treating disorders and diseases of the eye since 2009, when he took over Bucks Eye Specialists from his childhood ophthalmologist. He has received a number of honors and commendations in the time since.
In 2017, for example, he was invited to join the medical advisory board of Wills Eye Surgery Center in Warminster, and in early 2019 he earned the Governors Achievement Certificate from the AOCOO-HNS Board of Governors. The board granted him the award for distinguishing himself through a high degree of accomplishment and meritorious service performed on behalf of the college and its board of examiners.
The accolades have continued to pile up. Earlier this year, Dr. Kamat served as co-chairman of a two-day event in Amsterdam, Netherlands, called the 2019 Global Ophthalmology Summit. There, he joined some of the world’s most prominent research scientists, practitioners, and educators to focus on “exploring the latest advancements in vision science and ophthalmology.”
While such recognition means a great deal to him, Dr. Kamat gets the most satisfaction from treating patients in his Yardley office and in ORs throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area. Each patient receives the time and attention their specific condition requires; some patients may need only a 15-minute checkup, while others may require a 45-minute full evaluation. The extra time he and Dana Cianni, O.D., are able to spend with each patient can make a substantial difference in one’s eye health.
“My patients’ health is my No. 1 priority,” he says. “Either I or Dana have the lion’s share of the chair time with the patient. Twenty to twenty-five percent of our visits are folks who have been elsewhere and want a second opinion. If they have a complicated issue that requires 20 minutes or more, they’re going to get it.”
Dr. Kamat’s packed schedule keeps him on the move. When he’s not seeing patients at his Yardley office, he’s either in the OR or teaching the next generation of ophthalmology professionals at medical centers throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area.
The little free time he does have, he tends to devote to those most in need. Bucks Eye Specialists participates in the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeCare America program, meaning a certain number of patients in need receive medical eye exams at little to no out-of-pocket cost. In addition, Dr. Kamat often works at inner-city clinics to make sure patients receive necessary eye care.
“Many of the people that go [to the inner-city clinics] don’t have much money, and their overall health is not as good because they don’t get regular checkups,” he says. “There’s a myth that you won’t see the same kinds of pathology outside of an urban clinic, but we’re seeing the same kinds of problems out here in the suburbs. That being said, if you don’t look for it, you won’t find it.”
Learning New Things
No matter the patient, no matter the situation, Dr. Kamat says preserving the health of one’s eyes must be a “team effort.”
“Sometimes the best thing we can do is to provide an accurate diagnosis and the information a patient needs to move forward,” he says. “It’s not always a simple fix, and patients have to understand that they have a responsibility and accountability to do their part. Without some work on their end, they have to realize things may not change for the better.”
Although the industry changes quickly, Dr. Kamat works hard to stay abreast of advances in technology and medications that can have measurable effects on patients’ eye health. This attention to detail may explain why he has become a leading ophthalmologist in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
“It’s exciting to keep learning new things,” he says. “More importantly, through new surgical procedures or other opportunities, we continue to find new ways to help people improve or even save their vision.”
Dr. Kamat grew up in Bucks County and graduated at the top of his class from Pennsbury High School. He left the Greater Philadelphia Area to attend medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, and then returned to the area for his ophthalmology residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also worked at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he gained experience in cataract surgery and oculoplastic trauma.
In 2009, Dr. Kamat took over Bucks Eye Specialists, a practice established by his childhood ophthalmologist, Barry Kutner, M.D. Today, Dr. Kamat devotes almost 90 percent of his time to direct patient care. In addition, he is a clinical instructor at the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia, as well as the ophthalmologist for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s Northeast Regional Center in Philadelphia. He also devotes his time to being on staff at numerous facilities in the tri-state area, as well as to providing vital care to patients at inner-city clinics.
Dr. Kamat is committed to building his knowledge in the field of eye health. He maintains his membership in the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and the American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as well as the Pennsylvania and Bucks County medical societies.
About Dr. Kamat
Sanjay Kamat, D.O., grew up in Bucks County and graduated at the top of his class from Pennsbury High School. He left the Greater Philadelphia Area to attend medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, and then returned to the area for his ophthalmology residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also worked at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he gained experience in cataract surgery and oculoplastic trauma.
In 2009, Dr. Kamat took over Bucks Eye Specialists, a practice established by his childhood ophthalmologist, Barry Kutner, M.D. Today, Dr. Kamat devotes almost 90 percent of his time to direct patient care. In addition, he is a clinical instructor at the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia, as well as the ophthalmologist for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s Northeast Regional Center in Philadelphia. He also devotes his time to being on staff at numerous facilities in the tri-state area, as well as to providing vital care to patients at inner-city clinics.
Dr. Kamat is committed to building his knowledge in the field of eye health. He maintains his membership in the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and the American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as well as the Pennsylvania and Bucks County medical societies.
Bucks Eye Specialists
301 Oxford Valley Road, Suite 801-A
Yardley, Pa.
(215) 493-7330
Photograph by Jody Robinson
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, December 2019.
