J. Alberto Martinez, MD
Fellowship-Trained Cornea and External Diseases Surgeon, Cataract & Pterygium Surgery
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Georgetown University
Dr. Martinez sees patients at our Rockville office and monthly at our Washington, DC, office.
Specialties
He is fluent in Spanish
J. Alberto Martinez, MD is the founder of Visionary Eye Doctors. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained in cornea and refractive surgery. His specialties are advanced cataract surgery, corneal transplants, pterygium surgery, and corneal cross-linking.
Since the inception in 2003 of Washingtonian magazine’s “Top Doctor” issues, Dr. Martinez’s peers have elected him each year as a “Top Doc” for ophthalmology. Additionally, Dr. Martinez has been selected as a “Top Doctor” by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Castle Connolly identifies top doctors, both nationally and regionally, based on an extensive nominations process open to all licensed physicians in America. The Castle Connolly physician-led research team reviews and screens all nominated physicians before selecting those regarded as the most outstanding health care providers to be Top Doctors. Dr. Martinez is a sought-after, nationally and internationally recognized leader in corneal, cataract, refractive, and pterygium surgery. Dr. Martinez participated in the initial studies that led to the FDA approval of LASIK. He has been honored as “Teacher of the Year” unanimously by the residents at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
Dr. Martinez started Visionary Eye Doctors in 1997 with the goal of performing the best pterygium, cataract, and corneal surgery possible in a way that would make people the happiest and most comfortable possible. After 20-plus years in practice, Dr. Martinez has performed more than 30,000 procedures, including cataracts, cornea transplants, complex reconstructions of the eye, and LASIK. LenSx® femtosecond laser, the greatest technological advance in laser cataract surgery for the past 20 years, became available in 2011, and Dr. Martinez is one of the very few surgeons in the mid-Atlantic region who had access to this technology. In addition, he is one of the few surgeons who has used more than one laser platform. Recently, based on large-scale evidence-based clinical findings of his own patients, he changed to the CATALYS® femtosecond laser for laser-assisted cataract surgery. He has performed over 1,000 laser-assisted cataract surgeries with a success rate of approximately 99%, resulting in a more accurate, gentler, and safer surgery.
Additionally, he has performed more than 11,000 pterygiectomies, with an astoundingly low recurrence rate of less than 1%. This is one of the largest volumes of pterygium surgeries and lowest recurrence rates, placing Dr. Martinez as a pterygium “Top Surgeon” internationally. Dr. Martinez maintains a research fellow focused on pterygium. He has published and presented numerous studies nationally and internationally to share his expertise regarding pterygium.
Click here for more information on pterygium.
Board-Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology
Medical School: Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Internship: Internal Medicine, Washington, DC Hospital Center, Washington, DC
Residency: Ophthalmology, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX
Fellowship: Cornea and External Diseases, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
B.S.: Summa Cum Laude, American University, Washington, DC
Hobbies & Interests:
Dr. Martinez’s hobbies include traveling, dancing, and playing the Bongos and the didgeridoo. He has a passion for yoga, meditation, & charity medical missions. He is currently managing a conservation & reforestation project in the Andes Mountains of Colombia.
Giving Back
Dr. Martinez is a long-time resident of Montgomery County, where he serves on several boards, including Friends of White Flint, the Lions Club, and the Board of Directors at Strathmore Music Center. He is also the founder and president of the Visionary Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on eye surgical missions to impoverished countries in Central America. Dr. Martinez’s passion to improve his patients’ quality of life is evident throughout every aspect of his practice. All of the Visionary Eye Doctors specialists share the same level of commitment and compassion to produce the best possible outcome and improve our patient’s lives and how they see the world.
If you are interested in learning more about the foundation and how to contribute, please visit www.visionaryfoundation.net.