Dr David Kent

Ophthalmologist

Fendalton Eye Clinic provides modern state-of-the-art laser eye surgery specialising in LASIK, SMILE eye laser, PRK laser eye surgery and cataract surgery.

Dr David Kent has been the leader in refractive surgery in the South Island being the first eye surgeon to perform the following procedures:

  • PRK
  • LASIK
  • Wavefront-guided personalised (customised) LASIK and PRK
  • Implantable contact lenses
  • Toric and multifocal intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery
  • Intra-corneal ring segments to treat keratoconus
  • Riboflavin corneal cross-linking to treat keratoconus.

Dr. David Kent (MBChB, FRANZCO) is one of Australasia’s foremost specialists in laser eye surgery and lens exchange, with over 34,000 laser eye procedures performed since 1996—making him the most experienced laser eye surgeon in New Zealand. Renowned for his expertise in corrective laser eye surgeries such as LASIK, SMILEpro, and PRK, Dr. Kent is also the current New Zealand representative for the Australasian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

In addition to his laser work, Dr. Kent offers advanced cataract and lens exchange surgery techniques. Since 1996, he has performed nearly all his cataract surgeries under topical anaesthesia, eliminating the need for injections or eye patches. Since 2013, he has also been performing same-day, bilateral lens exchange surgery. Dr. Kent specialises in refractive cataract surgery and lens exchange using multifocal and extended depth-of-focus intraocular lenses, aiming to reduce dependence on glasses and contact lenses. He has been using toric intraocular lenses to correct astigmatism since 1997.

A pioneer in his field, Dr. Kent began performing Staar Visian ICL (implantable contact lens) surgeries in 1999 and also offers advanced treatments for keratoconus, including Keraring and corneal cross-linking surgery.

 

 

Dr David Kent has been the leader in refractive surgery in the South Island being the first eye surgeon to perform the following procedures:

  • PRK
  • LASIK
  • Wavefront-guided personalised (customised) LASIK and PRK
  • Implantable contact lenses
  • Toric and multifocal intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery
  • Intra-corneal ring segments to treat keratoconus
  • Riboflavin corneal cross-linking to treat keratoconus.

Training

Dr David Kent completed his medical degree in 1985 and training as an eye surgeon (ophthalmologist) in 1992 in Auckland. He then spent 12 months at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London doing post-graduate fellowship in glaucoma. Followed by 19 months in Charleston, South Carolina working with Dr Kerry Solomon and Dr David Apple at the Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina. There Dr Kent did post-graduate training in excimer laser surgery, cataract surgery and intraocular lenses. He then worked at an excimer laser clinic in Melbourne to further his sub-specialty training before returning to New Zealand in 1996 to establish the Fendalton Eye Clinic. During his time in the United States Dr Kent was involved in US FDA trials of excimer laser surgery as well as research into how the cornea heals after the LASIK procedure.

Surgical Experience

At Fendalton Eye Clinic, Dr. Kent was the first eye surgeon in the South Island to perform both PRK and LASIK surgery. He is one of the most experienced laser surgeons in Australasia, having performed more corrective laser eye procedures than any other New Zealand eye surgeon.

Dr. Kent regularly presents scientific papers on laser eye surgery at major ophthalmic conferences. He has authored or co-authored multiple scientific papers on laser refractive surgery.

A respected leader in his field, Dr. Kent is a member of both the American and Australasian Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He serves as the elected New Zealand representative on the executive committee of the Australian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. In 2023, Dr. Kent was invited to join the Regional Advisory Committee of ANZ and Oceania for the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences (WCRS&VS).

In addition to his expertise in laser refractive surgery, Dr. Kent offers the latest advancements in cataract and intraocular lens surgery. Including the innovative no-needle, no-eyepatch technique. Dr. Kent is the South Island’s leading user of multifocal intraocular lenses, having introduced them in 1999. He routinely performs same-day, bilateral lens exchange or cataract surgery, ensuring maximum convenience and the fastest recovery for his patients.

Dr. Kent was also the first currently practicing New Zealand eye surgeon to offer Staar Visian Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) surgery, providing a solution for extreme focusing errors.

 

 

 

Papers

• Trials of a disc lens for intercapsular cataract extraction. Aust N Z J Ophthalmol. 1990;18:329-344.
• Endophthalmitis in Auckland 1983-1991.Aust N Z J Ophthalmol. 1993;21:227-36.
• Pediatric capsulorhexis technique. J Cataract Refract Surg. 1995;21:236.
• Irreversible silicone oil adhesion to silicone intraocular lenses. A clinicopathologic analysis. Ophthalmology. 1996 Oct;103(10):1555-61; discussion 1561-2. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(96)30463-6.
• Effect of surface photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis on the corneal endothelium. J Cataract Refract Surg. 1997;23:386-97
Refractive versus corneal changes after photorefractive keratectomy for astigmatism. J Refract Surg. 1998;14:386-96
• Silicone oil adhesion to intraocular lenses: an experimental study comparing various biomaterials. J Cataract Refract Surg. 1997;23:536-44
• Three multizone photorefractive keratectomy algorithms for myopia. The Melbourne Excimer Laser Group. J Refract Surg. 1997;13:535-44
• Pathology of Refractive Surgery. In Apple DJ and Rabb MF, editors. Ocular Pathology, Clinical Applications and Self Assessment. Fifth Edition. St. Louis, Missouri. 1998. Mosby-Year Book Inc.
• Security of capsular fixation: small-versus large-hole plate-hepatic lenses
J Cataract Refract Surg. 1997;23:1371-5.
• Mini-haptics to improve capsular fixation of plate-haptic silicone intraocular lenses. J Cataract Refract Surg. 1998;24:666-71.
• Refractive versus corneal changes after photorefractive keratectomy for astigmatism. J Refract Surg. 1998 Jul-Aug;14(4):386-96. doi: 10.3928/1081-597X-19980701-04. PMID: 9699162.
• Randomized, Controlled, Double-Masked, Multicenter, Pilot Study Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Intranasal Neurostimulation for Dry Eye Disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Jan 2;60(1):147-153. doi: 10.1167/iovs.18-23984.