Dr. Ronald N. Gaster MD

Ronald N. Gaster, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a board certified, fellowship trained ophthalmologist in private practice in Beverly Hills, and Orange County, California, and Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine and the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine. He is on staff at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, and the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Dr. Gaster has been selected by his peers to Best Doctors in America since 1996, U.S. News & World Report's Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine's SuperDoctors, and other honors and awards including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement and Honor Awards and was nominated as Clinician of the Year at U.C. Irvine Medical Center. Dr. Gaster is a past President of the Orange County Society of Ophthalmology. He is a graduate of Cornell University, U.C.L.A. School of Medicine and The University of Chicago. Recently, Dr. Gaster appeared as an expert and guest doctor on the national, Emmy award winning television show, “The Doctors.” He performed femtosecond laser-assisted corneal transplant and corneal cross-linking surgeries for the show and has made additional appearances. Dr. Gaster was one of the first 20 corneal surgeons internationally to perform Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty and has continued research in that field. He additionally uses the femtosecond laser for cataract surgery, LASIK and other advanced corneal techniques. Dr. Gaster is also a pioneer in the field of refractive surgery, performing SMILE, LASIK and PRK, and was a Principal Investigator for the excimer laser. He is now studying and performing Corneal Cross-Linking in adults and adolescents to halt progression of keratoconus and other ectatic diseases and is a Principal Investigator for that study. He has a special interest in treating dry eye disease, including using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). He has over 90 peer reviewed journal publications, abstracts and book chapters, including most recently in the “Journal of Refractive Surgery,” “British Journal of Ophthalmology,” “Cornea” and “Ophthalmology.” Recently, he was guest editor for the “International Ophthalmology Clinics.” Dr. Gaster also enjoys going on medical missions and has taught corneal and cataract surgery in Africa, China, India, South America and Nepal.