Raised in the tri-state area, Chirag Shah, M.D., brought his passion and dedication for changing and enhancing people’s lives back to the area following his education and formal training.
“Basically I am a local product,” Dr. Shah explains. “I went to high school in New Jersey, went to Rutgers for medical school, did my ophthalmology residency at NYU, and then did a super-specialization fellowship training at the University of Pittsburgh. I knew I wanted to come back here and practice.”
Through his experiences in medical school, Dr. Shah could not ignore the immense patient satisfaction that was coupled with the field of ophthalmology, sparking his field selection. “It just fascinated me to be able to restore someone’s vision and make a direct impact on their quality of life,” he says. “It is truly rewarding.”
Upon the completion of his specialty training in laser eye surgery in 2002, Dr. Shah opened his private practice in Princeton, N.J., but soon realized that while private practice lends itself to a more entrepreneurial lifestyle, being part of a larger company includes benefits that are often difficult for private practices to come by but have the potential to greatly benefit patients. After talking with a few colleagues who worked for LasikPlus, Dr. Shah decided to join the growing team, opening up his office in King of Prussia.
“I was asked to join their team and build their Philadelphia market and practice,” he explains. “I thought it was a great opportunity because in private practice it’s an expensive field to get into. It’s tough to have the best of everything, to have it updated and upgraded. In order to practice top-notch medicine I believe it’s important to always have state-of-the-art technology, and I had a very good company like LasikPlus to support me.”
His LasikPlus practice features what he calls “the pinnacle of technology” in Philadelphia. With a multi-laser platform, the practice is able to give patients a variety of procedural options in addition to being able to treat all different types of ocular needs including astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness, providing optimal care for every patient.
“It is important that patients have their surgery with the most advanced technology to get the best possible results,” Dr. Shah explains. “A lot of patients, when they’re looking at Lasik, will go to two or three doctors so it’s not uncommon for patients to shop our competitors. We get great feedback like, ‘Your office is more personalized,’ ‘You’re honest and told me things right up front,’ and, ‘You have the most options with technology.’”
With an incomparable amount of experience—more than 30,000 procedures performed, to be exact—many patients choose Dr. Shah, who is part of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and the New Jersey Academy of Ophthalmology, because of his dedicated specialization that few area doctors have.
Additionally, beyond traditional Lasik, the center provides everything on the spectrum of vision-correction surgery, including advanced surface ablation, intraocular lens implants and cataract surgery with multi-focal lenses, for all patients over the age of 18. Besides Dr. Shah’s extensive experience, other factors that separate LasikPlus from its competitors are the thoroughness and care of patients, as well as the investment in the best technology.
“We pride ourselves on doing the legwork, not just during the surgery, but before, too,” Dr. Shah explains. Starting with an extensive 90-minute pre-op eye evaluation and surgery of the highest caliber, followed by post-op check-ups and consultations, patients appreciate the lengths to which Dr. Shah and his staff go to ensure that they are receiving the best, most thorough care. In doing so, Dr. Shah is continually reminded of the changes he is sparking in his patients’ lives.
“The proof is in the emotional cards and letters that we get, saying that they can function and they’re not dependent on contacts or glasses,” Dr. Shah says. “Some patients describe such a life-changing experience and it puts it back into perspective what we’re doing. It’s an amazing thing.”
Not only are Dr. Shah and his staff able to correct vision, but their work extends far beyond the eyes to the lifestyle and ease that comes with the success of their laser surgeries. Athletes are once again able to advance in their sport without having to worry about glasses or contacts, and active adults are able to resume the day-to-day activities that were once made difficult by blurry vision or troublesome eye wear.
“The patients are tuned into their vision more than any other sense in their body,” he explains. “They’ll immediately notice the improvement and recognize it and tell you about it.
Anybody can sit there and watch TV with glasses on, but it’s about giving you the freedom to perform and live life without the dependence on glasses or contacts. It really impacts their quality of life.”
With the help and expertise of Dr. Shah, his patients are once again able to find excitement in their lives without the hassle of corrective lenses. Dr. Shah brings his patients’ lives to a new level, opening them up to see a whole new world.
Chirag Shah, M.D.
LasikPlus
216 Mall Boulevard, Suite 100
King of Prussia, PA 19406
866-755-2026 | www.aboutlasikplus.com
