Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS

Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, is a board-certified ophthalmologist offering corneal, cataract, and refractive surgery. Dr. McDonald is certified on the CATALYS femtosecond laser to perform laser-assisted cataract surgery (LACS).

Dr. McDonald is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at NYU School of Medicine and an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. She formerly served as a Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Corneal Service at the LSU Eye Center, LSU Medical Center School of Medicine in New Orleans. Dr. McDonald is currently a senior consultant for several medical device companies and was previously the Medical Director for Alcon/Summit/Autonomous.

Dr. McDonald has been the principal investigator of three National Eye Institute grants for the study of refractive surgery. In New Orleans, she headed the research team investigating the use of the excimer laser. In 1987, she performed the world’s first excimer laser treatment, and in 1993, she performed the world’s first excimer laser surgery for farsightedness. Dr. McDonald also served as a principal investigator for Bausch and Lomb and Nidek EC 5000 lasers. As a result, she performed the world’s first Summit/Autonomous wavefront-based excimer laser surgeries. Dr. McDonald was the second physician in the United States and the third physician in the world to perform CK (conductive keratoplasty) for farsightedness. She was the medical monitor of the U.S. clinical trials that led to the FDA approval of CK. Dr. McDonald was also the first North American surgeon to perform Epi-LASIK.

Dr. McDonald received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her internship at Lenox Hill Hospital and her ophthalmology residency at Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat Hospital / Cornell. She also underwent fellowship training in corneal and external diseases at the LSU Eye Center in New Orleans, after which she was asked to join the faculty team.

Dr. McDonald has served on the editorial boards of several publications. In 1997, she was elected to the Executive Committee of the prestigious American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). She was elected the first female president of the ASCRS in 2002-2003. Most recently, Dr. McDonald served as the first female president of the International Society of Refractive Surgery.