Doctor with High Tech Vision/ continued

Dr. Vasquez was the first Ophthalmologist in Panama with a formal training in the US to practice the subspecialty of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery, and the only physician to use fibrin glue for Pterigium surgery. He designed forceps for orbital surgery and contracted a major surgical instrument company to craft the instrument to his specifications.
Although high tech, he’s also a “high touch”, caring physician. One patient living outside of Panama City was seen on a Saturday afternoon. New to the Pamama City medical scene, this patient was escorted by the doctor to a hospital lab where the doctor waited with the patient until the results were obtained. While the situation was not a critical emergency, Dr. Vasquez did not want to wait for results until Monday. Treatment could thus be started immediately.

High touch is important in the most difficult patients for the doctor: those infants and children referred to him by pediatric opthalmologists. Ocuplastic surgery for congenital deformities and tumor removal, both benign and malignant, is not in the spectrum of the pediatric ophthalmologist. Early intervention is critical in these young patients. The doctor may follow them for years, only to lose some of them to cancers in other parts of their bodies.

At the age of fourteen, Roberto Vasquez knew he not only wanted to be a doctor, but he wanted to be an eye doctor. He was influenced by the work of Dr. Benjamin Boyd. He began reading about the eye and found that the microscopic environment of the eye was a great challenge.

His educational background, after graduating from the University of Panama School of Medicine includes two years of internship in Panamanian hospitals in Panama City and Colon, as well as a 3 year Residency in Ophthalmology at Complejo Hospitalario Metropolitano. Training in his subspecialty of Ocuploplasty and Orbital Surgery was competed at West Virginia University and includes Clinical Rotations at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital.

Dr. Vasquez is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association Panamericana de Oftalmologia, Surgical Eye Expeditions, Inc. and the International Society of Refractive Surgery, among others.

This Ophthalmologist stays current in his field by annual attendance of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and training through the Scientific Symposium of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has made several presentations to medical meetings in both the United States and Panama.

How many of his patients are medical tourists? The doctor doesn’t know. He is too busy treating them and local resident, as well as doing his own research. Dr. Vasquez reports that he is always investigating new technologies and treatments for the better care of his patients.

Dr. Vasquez can be reached by phone in Panama City at 264-0620
(if calling from outside of Panama, dial international code 011-507-264-0620) or email ROJABEL@medicospaitilla.com.
His office is located on the sixth floor of Paitilla Medico Consultorios.