Dr. Geoffrey Kwitko had a vision for his life long before he became one of Tampa’s most distinguished oculoplastic surgeons. Growing up, he watched his father revolutionize the ophthalmology world by being the first doctor in Canada to insert intraocular lens implants during cataract surgery. As a teenager working in his father’s practice, Geoffrey always knew that, like his father, he wanted to carve his own unique path in ophthalmologic history. “I always wanted to be an eye doctor,” Dr. Kwitko says, “but I didn’t know I would specialize in oculoplastics until I met a professor during my residency.”
After his residency, he practiced in Montreal for a year. He became frustrated with the sluggish health care system. “I remember this 80-year-old woman who had an infected tear sac,” he recalls. “It would have taken me 20 minutes to fix, but we couldn’t get her into an OR for six months.” He decided then and there that he couldn’t practice in an environment that allowed patients to suffer.
He set his sights on Tampa, a city, that at the time, had only one other oculoplastic surgeon. Now, more than 25 years later, he is one of the world’s most renowned experts on cosmetic eyelid surgery. Dr. Kwitko specializes in neuro-ophthalmology, thyroid eye disease, orbital diseases, orbital cancers, tearing problems and dry eye syndrome. “I enjoy the cosmetic part, and doing trauma and cancer reconstruction is very rewarding,” he says. When he’s not in surgery, Dr. Kwitko unwinds by hitting the hockey rink. Some of his patients might be surprised to discover that once upon a time, Dr. Kwitko was a world-class mogul skier. “It was either keep skiing or get a real job,” Dr. Kwitko jokes.
Education: University of Western Ontario, Canada; Doctor of Medicine McGill University, Montreal; Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit ophthalmology residency; Oculoplastic, orbital, lacrimal, and neuro-ophthalmology fellowship; Fellow, American College of Surgeons; Fellow, International College of Surgeons; Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology; Fellow, International Society of Orbital Disorders; Fellow, Neuro-ophthalmic Surgical Society
311 S. MacDill Ave.
Tampa, FL 33609 | (813) 877-8665
WWW.KWITKO.COM
