Chris W. Heichel, MD

Chris W. Heichel, MD, serves as professor of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology at UC San Diego, Shiley Eye Institute. He is considered a skilled surgeon, astute clinician and a dedicated educator. Dr. Heichel graduated UC San Diego undergraduate with honors including the Howard Hughes Research Fellowship Award. He completed medical school in Chicago with honors as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. He returned to the University of California, San Diego to complete his residency, where he served as chief resident, as well as a fellowship in cornea, external diseases and refractive surgery. He joined the faculty at UC San Diego in 2004 where he is currently a board certified ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery.

Dr. Heichel has spent the majority of his career dedicating himself to his patients. He enjoys challenging cataract, and anterior segment cases including traumatic cataracts, pediatric cataracts, subluxed lenses, dislocated intraocular lenses, and iris reconstruction cases. He has extensive experience in complex Cornea cases. He is well versed in a breadth of keratoplasty techniques including DSAEK, DALK, PKP, KPRO and limbal stem cell transplantation. He takes a special interest in treating ocular surface tumors. He practices the most advanced laser refractive surgery techniques for LASIK and PRK, as well as phakic intraocular lenses like the Visian ICL, INTACS and corneal cross-linking.

For the last six years, Dr. Heichel has been recognized as one of America's Top Doctors, and America's Top Ophthalmologists. Additionally, he is named as one of US News & World Report's Top Doctors. Finally, Dr. Heichel devotes much of his time teaching, and training fellows, residents and medical students. He enjoys this particular challenge almost as much as patient care, and has received the teacher of the year award on numerous occasions.

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