Keith A. Walter, MD

Keith Walter, MD, received his medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine in 1991. He served an internship in internal medicine at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, beginning in 1992. He performed his ophthalmology residency and cornea fellowship at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta in 1995 and 1996, respectively. He joined the Wake Forest Baptist Health Eye Center and department of ophthalmology in 1996 and was promoted to full professor in 2014.

Walter is a highly skilled surgeon and ophthalmologist who is always looking for ways to improve techniques and enhance patient care in the field. He invented the EndoSaver or EndoSerter, a unique single-use, disposable device used to implant donor tissue during DSAEK procedures—partial thickness corneal transplants. His desire for better tools and techniques in eye surgery has led to his research pursuits, which have led to improved patient outcomes.

In refractive surgery, Walter has helped to develop a new technique called presbyLASIK, a method of reshaping the cornea so that patients can see both distant and close objects. It is currently in use in Europe and awaiting U.S. approval. In future research, Walter hopes to improve outcomes in glaucoma patients who undergo cataract surgery by enhancing the placement of micro-invasive glaucoma stints. He also wants to develop methods to improve visualization during eye surgery.