Dr. Stephan Plager is the Medical Director of Plager Vision Center. He has been in private practice for twenty-three years. He is a specialist in refractive surgery, procedures which can reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses. He has been performing refractive procedures for the last thirteen years, including laser-assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), radial keratotomy (RK), astigmatic keratotomy (AK), lamellar keratoplasty (LK), and excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Dr. Plager is a subspecialist in corneal and external diseases. He is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University (resident teaching in refractive surgery, corneal and external disease).
Dr. Plager went to medical school at the University of Miami School of Medicine where he was the President of the Medical Fraternity. He performed his internship at USC where he was in the top 10% of the internship class.
During his nine years in the Air Force he took a three year Ophthalmology residency sponsored by the Air Force in a civilian institution at the Kansas University\Medical Center, where he was the Chief Resident from 1969-1970. He was the Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology at USAF Regional Hospital at Scott Air Force Base in Bellville, Illinois from 1970-1973 and held the same post at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Dr. Plager has taken numerous post-graduate courses in cataract intraocular lens implant surgery with phacoemulsification and retinal vitreous courses as well as multiple refractive surgery courses which includes RK, ALK, PR/PTK and LASIK. He trained with Dr. Leo Bores in 1980, which was the original course given in the United States. He is the former Chief of Staff in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital . He was consultant of the year during 1990-1991 at the University of California in Santa Cruz. Stanford University Department of Ophthamology also honored him with the 1998 Voluntary Clinical Faculty Member of the Year award.
Dr. Plager was board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology in 1972. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the AMA, California Medical Association, Santa Cruz Medical Association, American Intraocular Lens Implant Society, American Society of Outpatient Surgeons and a member of the Keratorefractive Society. He is the published author of several journal articles and is a recognized expert in the field of refractive surgery.
