Rajen Desai MD FACS is a board certified cataract and glaucoma surgeon with the Witlin Center for Advanced Eye Care.
Dr. Desai graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors from Stanford University, followed by a M.D. from Stanford Medical School, with an extra year of training in clinical research. He served as 2nd Lieutenant and pilot in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol in Texas, followed by residency, chief residency, and glaucoma fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago, ranked as one of the top 10 medical centers in the nation.
With over 20 years of experience in vision research, Dr. Desai has produced over 50 peer-reviewed publications and presentations across the country. In 2007, he served as a study chair on an FDA clinical trial to introduce a new medication to reduce scarring after eye surgery. In 2019, he served as a principal investigator for another FDA clinical trial to develop a more effective surgical technique of implanting a novel glaucoma stent.
Dr. Desai brings the latest advances of vision research to the operating room, including laser-assisted cataract surgery, and advanced intraocular lens implants that treat astigmatism for both distance and near vision.
For his consistently high surgical success rate, various ocular device companies often select Dr. Desai to be their first surgeon in New Jersey to introduce the least invasive and latest upgrades of surgical devices, including:
- First surgeon on the East Coast (and second in the world) to operate using the TrabEx Pro, to remove diseased tissue obstructing the glaucoma drain.
- First surgeon in New Jersey to implant the Aspire intraocular lens, to provide clear vision for distance and arm’s length without glasses.
- First surgeon in New Jersey to implant the iStent Inject, the smallest metallic device used to treat open angle glaucoma
- First surgeon in New Jersey to implant the Ahmed ClearPath, a glaucoma shunt with less risk of double vision and greater pressure reduction
- First surgeon in New Jersey to operate using the Omni Next Generation system for an implant-free glaucoma surgery
- First surgeon in New Jersey to operate using the Streamline, the least invasive implant-free glaucoma procedure to open and dilate the drainage canal
- First surgeon in New Jersey to be certified on the Micropulse Trans-scleral Laser Therapy Rev2 Probe, a glaucoma device that avoids surgical incisions
- First surgeon in central New Jersey to implant the AlloFlo, a non-metallic graft to reduce eye pressure
- First surgeon in central New Jersey to implant the iDose, a procedure which helps eliminate the need for glaucoma medication for at least 3 years
These devices reduce the eye pressure in a much safer and controlled manner than other procedures performed elsewhere in the state.
Having operated on thousands of patients, Dr. Desai has been regularly trusted by other physicians, optometrists, and cataract surgeons to perform cataract and glaucoma surgery on their and their own parents’ eyes.
Passionate about producing excellent surgical outcomes, and teaching others, Dr. Desai received the “Patient’s Choice Award” and the “2011 Best Teacher of Medical Students Award.” In 2013, he earned the Society of Heed Fellows Award, one of only 5 honorees chosen across the nation. In 2018, he earned the “America’s Top Ophthalmologist” award.
Dr. Desai has been an internationally invited speaker to discuss how to optimize safety when performing cataract and glaucoma surgery.
Dr. Desai is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, the American Glaucoma Society, the Society of Heed Fellows, and the American College of Surgeons.
When not in the office or operating room, Dr. Desai enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, and photography.
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