Best Eye Surgeon Los Angeles & Beverly Hills

“My goal is to make glasses and contacts obsolete. We’ve come so far in the last decade! I think in the next 10 to 20 years, we’ll get to the point where nobody has to wear them anymore.”

-Dr. Robert Maloney

World-Renowned Eye Surgeon

When Dr. Robert Maloney decided to become an eye surgeon, almost forty years ago, he had a simple goal: he wanted to help people see better. And perhaps because Dr. Maloney doesn’t do things halfway and doesn’t believe in “just okay,” that goal was rapidly supplanted by a new one: to give his patients great vision, without the need for glasses or contact lenses. And after almost thirty-five years of working at the forefront of innovative vision correction surgery, he’s made that target an attainable one.

Top Los Angeles Eye Surgeon, Dr. Maloney explains why he has such a passion for perfecting eyesight. “When I was a young boy, my grandmother needed surgery for cataracts. It didn’t go well, and I watched her nearly lose her vision because of it.” It wasn’t the vision loss that inspired Los Angeles eye doctor Robert Maloney. It was its restoration.

The inspiration from that eye surgery, which seemed like a miracle to young Maloney and his family, carried Maloney all the way through college, medical school, internships and residency. As one of the top eye doctors in Los Angeles, Dr. Maloney applies this same passion and care to each patient he operates on. It is this extraordinary level of service that has many of his patients considering him the best eye surgeon Los Angeles has to offer.

Why Did I Become An Eye Surgeon?

Why Did I Choose LASIK?

Education

Harvard

Dr. Maloney graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard College, with a degree in Mathematics.

Cambridge

Dr. Maloney returned to England to do a Research Fellowship in Physiology at Cambridge University.

Oxford

As a Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Maloney earned a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University.

Johns Hopkins Hospital

Dr. Maloney did his residency in ophthalmology in one of the most prestigious programs in the United States, Johns Hopkins Hospital.

University of California at San Francisco

Dr. Maloney obtained his Medical Doctor degree in his home state of California at the University of California at San Francisco.

Emory University

Dr. Maloney continued his surgical training with a Heed Fellowship in Corneal and Refractive Surgery at Emory University. Here, he participated in the earliest trials of LASIK surgery.

Professional Achievements

Dr. Maloney was the first eye surgeon in western North America to perform LASIK surgery as part of the original FDA clinical trials. He is Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at UCLA and Director of the Maloney-Shamie Vision Institute, in Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Maloney has been a principal investigator for nineteen FDA clinical trials including the implantable contact lens, wavefront-guided LASIK, and the Light-Adjustable Lens for cataract surgery. He is also the developer of the “Modified Maloney Method” of calculating IOL power for cataract surgery and is the holder of seven medical patents.

He has published more than 300 articles, abstracts, and reports in professional journals and has delivered more than 400 invited lectures on five continents. He is the author of three books, which you can view online: Life Without Glasses: LASIK, Lens Implants & Lens Exchange”, “Cataract Surgery: A Patient’s Guide to Cataract Treatment”, and “LASIK, A Guide to Laser Vision Correction”.
Dr. Maloney has trained more than 1,000 eye surgeons in the use of the excimer laser and has personally performed more than 68,000 vision correction surgeries.

Read Dr. Maloney’s CV

A testament to his belief in the safety and benefits of LASIK surgery, Dr. Maloney had the procedure performed on his own eyes in 1997, making him one of the first refractive surgeons in North America to have LASIK.

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Awards

2001 Lans Distinguished Award, presented by the International Society of Refractive Surgery, awarded to Dr. Maloney for his innovative contributions to the field of visioncorrection surgery;
2021 Visionary Award, presented by the American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery; for contributions to the field of vision correction surgery.
Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, awarded to Dr. Maloney for contributions to the education of other eye surgeons;
Voted one of America's Top 10 vision correction specialists in a nationwide survey of eye surgeons conducted by Ophthalmology Times magazine;
Named as an industry leader in Becker’s ASC Review 2010 “34 of the Best Ophthalmologists in America”
Chosen by his peers as one of Castle Connolly Medical’s Best Doctors in America for over 20 years in a row.

Research

Dr. Maloney’s research is focused on developing new technologies for vision correction surgery, including the implantable contact lens and the light-adjustable lens implant, and on complications of vision-correction surgery. He has been a principal investigator for twenty FDA clinical trials. He has a special clinic devoted to treating patients who have had problems with prior eye surgery.

Community

Dr. Maloney is on the Board of Trustees of Good Samaritan Hospital, where he serves on the Executive Committee. He is also a Trustee of Children Mending Hearts, a charity that provides cultural enrichment programs for homeless children and a Trustee of Van Nuys Charities, which provides financial support for charities that serve children and the homeless.

Media

Dr. Maloney has appeared frequently on television: as the exclusive LASIK surgeon for the ABC hit series Extreme Makeover, as well as performing LASIK for E!’s Dr. 90210 and TLC’s Ten Years Younger. He has been featured on the Discovery Channel, the Learning Channel, NBC’s Extra, ABC’s 20/20 and Prime Time Live, PBS’s Life and Times, CNN and Entertainment Tonight. His work has also been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, including People Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Business Week, USA Today, Men’s Health, Vogue and the Wall Street Journal.

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A Word From The Doctor

Dear Patient,

I got my first pair of glasses at age 12, and still vividly remember how much I hated wearing them. I had LASIK surgery on my own eyes in 1997, and for the first time in my adult life, I experienced the wonderful freedom from glasses it brings. I could see individual blades of grass in a lawn, open my eyes underwater and see my alarm clock without glasses. Life’s simple pleasures seemed to truly come alive. The decision to have vision correction surgery is exciting, but it is also frightening for many people. I’m often asked if the procedures are safe. If you are a good candidate, I can tell you that I have such confidence in these procedures, I’ve personally treated my wife, my mother, my brother and six other family members. One of my core beliefs is that you, too deserve to be treated like a family member. To me, that means you are seen promptly without waiting, you are treated with courtesy and all of your questions are answered. Treating you like family means that we thoroughly educate you about the procedures as they apply to you and your eyes. Family means that we triple check the surgical plan to ensure it is perfect for you. As I would with my own family, I will recommend the procedure that is best for you, or none at all if that’s what we find is most appropriate.

I think you will be excited when you see the clear difference we offer at the Maloney-Shamie Vision Institute. I look forward to meeting you and introducing you to the incredible freedom that life without glasses and contacts can bring.

Yours sincerely,

Robert K. Maloney, M.D., M.A. (Oxon)