Dr. Harry Hamburger, a world-renowned specialist in ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology, has seen a lot of changes.

"When I opened the Kendall Eye Institute here 13 years ago, there was nothing west of 117th Avenue other than strawberry fields," he said.

Today, Dr. Hamburger has seen more than 100,000 patients, and the Institute is considered one of the finest eye care centers in South Florida.

"We were the first — outside the downtown medical center complex — to offer university-level diagnosis and treatment of complicated eye problems using computerized diagnostic testing, laser therapy, and a fully equipped operating room with a surgical microscope," he said.

Hamburger has announced the opening of a Laser Vision Correction Center at Kendall Eye Institute. The new state-of-the-art center will be under the direction of Dr. Scott Geller, who has performed more than 7,000 vision correction procedures.

Hamburger explained that the laser treatments available at the new center will help correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

"Vision recovery after Excimer laser is very rapid, with some patients seeing 20/20 less than 24 hours after surgery," he said.

Another new advancement for the office is the addition of Dr. Janis Dzelzkalns, a highly experienced cataract surgeon who specializes in cataract, glaucoma and diabetic eye surgery.

All of these innovations help keep the Kendall Eye Institute at the leading edge of vision care, yet Hamburger is also committed to maintaining a high "human element" in his practice.

"Every patient is treated like a member of my family, and no one is ever kept waiting in the reception area," he said.

There are flowers everywhere, television sets and videos for patient education, and even a framed Papal Blessing, a gift from a Vatican priest on whom Hamburger operated.

This commitment to the total well-being of his patients may stem from the fact that Hamburger comes from a medical family in Detroit, MI, where his father and uncle were both renowned specialists in thyroid disease and surgery.

A Fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which awards only one fellowship each year worldwide, brought Hamburger to Miami in 1984. He helped introduce electrophysiology in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases of the eye at Bascom Palmer.

Hamburger also is recognized for designing a new method for ocular anesthesia which did not require injections around the eye, and he was the first community ophthalmologist to be named surgical consultant to Homestead Air Force Base. He also performed the first corneal transplant at the base.

And his support of the community continues as strongly as ever.

His office provides complimentary treatment to missionaries and their families, supports a free eye center in Haiti, and sponsors a sensory exhibit for blind children at the Gulf Coast Museum of Science in Sarasota. Hamburger also frequently lectures to local community and religious groups on the power of prayer and healing, and is writing a book on the topic.

Married to Claudia Hamburger, co-owner of a live-in maid placement agency called Nannies to Perfection, Hamburger and his family live in Pinecrest.

The Kendall Eye Institute is located at 11410 N. Kendall Dr., Suite 110. For information, call 305-271-4544.