Lance Kugler, M.D.
Serving Greater Omaha, Nebraska – Leading LASIK Surgeon
An Omaha native, Dr. Kugler earned his undergraduate degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Computer Science. He then went on to earn his MD from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He returned to Omaha for residency training in ophthalmology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Following residency training, Dr. Kugler entered private practice.
After practicing ophthalmology in the Omaha area for four years, Dr. Kugler saw that Nebraska was in need of a surgeon with advanced training in state-of-the-art LASIK and cataract surgery. Building on his background in computer science, Dr. Kugler and his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he completed a prestigious fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery under the guidance of Ming Wang, MD, PhD, a world renowned ophthalmologist with a PhD in laser physics. Dr. Kugler performed over 1300 refractive surgical procedures during his fellowship, by far the most of any fellow in the country, and became an expert in managing complicated LASIK cases and helping patients who had suffered from LASIK complications elsewhere. Following his year of specialty training, Dr. Kugler returned to join Dr. Schlichtemeier and bring the latest state-of-the-art LASIK and cataract surgery technology to Nebraska. Dr. Kugler also serves as Director of Refractive Surgery for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he is in charge of resident education and research programs to advance the field of refractive surgery.
Dr. Kugler has authored several peer reviewed journal articles and textbook chapters, presented at national meetings, and served as the study coordinator for an FDA clinical trial for a new procedure to reduce patients’ need for reading glasses. He is an international consultant for corneal topography scans, which are computer generated maps of the surface of the eye, and also serves as a peer reviewer for several scientific journals.
Dr. Kugler is active at the national level through his involvement in the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is a member of the YO (Young Ophthalmologist) YO-info subcommittee and is a graduate of the prestigious AAO Leadership Development Program. Dr. Kugler is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Kugler lives with his wife Traci and their five children
Dr. Kugler is an expert in the following:
Laser surgery:
LASIK surgery with Intralase femtosecond laser
PRK (advanced surface ablation)
Intralase Laser assisted Intacs ring segment implantation for the treatment of keratoconus
Intralase Astigmatic Keratotomy for the treatment of severe astigmatism
Intralase laser assisted Corneal Transplantation
Treatment and management of post-LASIK complications
Cataract and Lens surgery:
Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL) for the treatment of severe near sightedness
Cataract and lens implant surgery using advanced lifestyle implantable lens technology to reduce the need for glasses
Conductive Keratoplasty for the treatment of presbyopia (the need for reading glasses after age 40)
Scleral Spacing Procedure (SSP) and other surgeries for the treatment of presbyopia
CURRICULUM VITAE
Lance J. Kugler, MD
CURRENT POSITION
Surgeon: Cornea/Refractive Surgery
LaserVision Correction, KuglerVision, P.C., Omaha, Nebraska
EMPLOYMENT
Partner: First Eye Associates, PC, Omaha, Nebraska (7/2005 – 7/2009)
EDUCATION
Fellowship: Wang Vision Institute/University of Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, (August 2009 – July 2010)
Cornea/Refractive Surgery
Residency: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, (2002 – 2005)
Ophthalmology
Internship: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, (2001 – 2002)
PGY-1, Internal Medicine
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio, (1997 – 2001)
Doctor of Medicine
Class Representative, Alumni Board of Trustees, (1997 – lifetime)
Class Representative, Committee of Student Representatives, (1999 – 2001)
Crile Summer Research Fellowship, (1998)
Irwin Lepow Student Research Day, (1999)
Undergraduate: DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, (1993 – 1997)
B.A., Computer Science
Magna Cum Laude
Phi Beta Kappa, (1997)
Dean’s List all semesters
The Outstanding Senior in Computer Science, (1997)
Mortar Board (1996 – 1997)
Phi Eta Sigma (Academic Honor Society), (1997)
Beta Theta Pi Fraternity (President)
CERTIFICATION
American Board of Ophthalmology, 2006
SKILL CERTIFICATION
Staar Visian Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL), Staar Surgical
Intacs Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments, Addition Technology
Refocus Presview Scleral Implants/Scleral Spacing Procedure
FDA Clinical Trial Principal Investigator, 2009-present
Study Coordinator, 2009-present
VISX Star S4 Excimer Laser, AMO, 2009
Intralase Femtosecond Laser, AMO, 2009
Alegretto Wavelight Excimer Laser, Alcon, 2008
Refractec Conductive Keratoplasty, Refractec, 2006
Alcon LadarWave Excimer Laser, Alcon, 2006
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Director of Refractive Surgery (2010-present)
Clinical Adjunct Professor, Ophthalmology
Omaha Veterans Administration Hospital, Clinical Adjunct Professor, Ophthalmology
MEMBERSHIP IN SOCIETIES
Cornea Society
American Academy of Ophthalmology, Fellow
Leadership Development Program, class of 2007-2008
Young Ophthalmologist (YO) subcommittee member, YO Info Board, 2008-2010
Ophthalmic News and Education (ONE) network Young Ophthalmologist Advisory Committee, 2008-present
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
International Society of Refractive Surgery
Nebraska Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Committee member, 2006-2009
American Medical Association
Pearls in Ophthalmology
Senior Editor, Cataract/Anterior Segment, 2008-present
MEETINGS ATTENDED
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2010, 2011, 2012
American Academy of Ophthalmology Advocacy Day and Midyear Forum,
Washington, DC, 2008
American Academy of Ophthalmology Leadership Development Program (LDP)
San Francisco, CA, 2008
Nebraska Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, 2002-2007
American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, 2004-2011
American Academy of Ophthalmology Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day, 2004-2011
Gifford-Truhlsen Research Day, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2002-2011
Midwest Academic Refractive Surgery Consortium, 2002-2006
Wills Eye Hospital Annual Ophthalmology Review Course
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2004, 2006
Osler Institute Ophthalmology Board Review Course, 2006
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 1999, 2001, 2005
AWARDS AND HONORS
Best Paper of Session
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, Boston, MA, April 11, 2010
Howard Dinsdale Award for Outstanding Resident Presentation
Gifford-Truhlsen Research Day, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, June 10, 2005
EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES
Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Reviewer, 2009-present
The Optical Society, Reviewer, 2010-present
Advances in Optics & Photonics
Applied Optics
Biomedical Optics Express
Journal of the Optical Society of America
Optics Express
Optics Letters
Virtual Journal for Biomedical Optics
PUBLICATIONS / PRESENTATIONS
Kugler LJ, Hill S, Sztipanovits D, Boerman H, Swartz TS, Wang MX. Corneal melt of incisions overlying corneal ring segments: case series and literature review. Cornea. 2011 Sep. 30(9):968-971
Jackson K, Kugler L, Wang M. Presbyopia-correcting IOLs in patients with Fuchs Dystrophy: indications and contraindications. Refractive Eyecare 15(7):1,27-28
Kugler LJ, Charters L. Risk of corneal melt reviewed. Ophthalmology Times. October 2010;45
Kugler LJ, Cohen I, Haddad W, Wang MX. Efficacy of LASIK in correcting anterior versus non-anterior corneal astigmatism. J Cataract and Refractive Surgery. 2010 Oct;36(10) 1745-1752
Kugler L, Wang M. Lasers in refractive surgery: history, present, and future. Applied Optics. 2010;49(25) F1-F9
Kugler LJ, Melendez R. Incorporating premium IOLs into your practice, part 1: laying the groundwork. American Academy of Ophthalmology, YO-Info newsletter, June 2010. http://www.aao.org/yo/newsletter/201006/article04.cfm
Kugler LJ, Melendez R. Incorporating premium IOLs into your practice, part 2: laying the groundwork. American Academy of Ophthalmology, YO-Info newsletter, July 2010. http://www.aao.org/yo/newsletter/201007/article03.cfm
Kugler L, Wang M. Scleral spacing procedure for the correction of presbyopia. Gifford-Truhlsen Research Day, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, June 4, 2010
Baker YL, Chen LS, Lewis JWL, Kugler L, Wang M. Does the posterior corneal elevation provide the first indication of keratoconus? Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May, 2010 (Poster)
Kugler L, Sztipanovitz D, Hill S, Boerman H, Wang M. Corneal Melt of Incisions Overlying Corneal Ring Segments: Case Series and Literature Review. Presentation to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS), Boston, MA, April 10, 2010
Wang M, Kugler L, Boerman H, Hill S, Sztipanovits D. Non-IOL and non-refractive factors contributing to poor performance of presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses. Presentation to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS), Boston, MA, April 11, 2010
Wang M, Kugler L, Boerman H, Sztipanovitz D. Non-IOL and non-refraction factors contributing to poor performance of presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses. Presentation to 15th Annual Joint Meeting of OSN, SOI, AICCER, Rome, Italy, May 2010
Kugler L, Wang M. Intrastromal Laser Refractive Surgery. Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today, 2010;March;10(3):68-70
Kugler L. Let’s talk about money. Pearls in ophthalmology. 2009;June;4(3):http://www.medrounds.org/ophthalmology-pearls/2009/09/lets-talk-about-money.html
Kugler L. Transitioning from Supervised Cataract Surgery to Independent Cataract Surgeon: 12 Clinical Pearls. American Academy of Ophthalmology, YO-Info Newsletter, April 2009. http://www.aao.org/yo/newsletter/200904/article04.cfm
Kugler L. Marketing Pearls: Is the Market ready for the promotion of presbyopia-correcting IOLs? Pearls in ophthalmology. 2009;June;4(2):http://www.medrounds.org/ophthalmology-pearls/2009/06/marketing-pearls-is-market-ready-for.html
Margalit, E, Kugler LJ, Brumm MV, Meza JL, Kompella UB, Escobar ER, Christensen GR. The safety of intraocular ketorolac in rabbits. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006 May;47(5):2093-9
Kugler L.J, Brumm M.V., Christensen G.R., Meza J.L., Margalit E. Safety of intraocular ketorolac. Gifford-Truhlsen Research Day, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, June 2005 (Presentation)
Kugler L.J, Brumm M.V., Christensen G.R., Meza J.L., Margalit E. Safety of intraocular ketorolac. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May, 2005 (Poster)
Kugler L, Margalit E. Safety of intraocular ketorolac. Gifford-Truhlsen Research Day, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, June 2004 (Presentation)
Kugler L, Dibernardo C, Margalit E. Identification of visually significant operculum with no macular hole by optical coherence tomography. Can J Ophthalmol. 2006 Feb;41(1):41-3
Foster JA, Perry JD, Cahill KV, Holck DE, Kugler L. Processed human pericardium barrier for gold weight implantation. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 Mar;20(2):107-9.
Kugler L, Foster JA, Perry JD, Sputh E. Processed human pericardium barrier for gold weight implantation. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May, 2001 (Poster)
Kugler L, Eshbaugh C, Krueger R. Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis in association with epithelial defects after LASIK, Cleveland Clinic Research Day, Cleveland, Ohio, July 2000
Kugler L, Foster JA, Bardenstein D, Hofer L, Ambekar A. Computer generated periocular measurements and the Rule of Threes in children. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May, 1999 (Poster)
Ambekar A, Riemann C, Kugler L, Castro, Foster JA. Kinetic and static Goldmann perimetry to evaluate similar amounts of ptosis related visual field loss. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May 1999 (Poster)
Godfrey M, Kugler L, Cisler J, et. al., . Fibrillin Immunofluorescence in “Rule Out” Marfan Syndrome. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on the Marfan Syndrome, Geneva, Switzerland, 1996 (Abstract)
Godfrey M, Cisler J, DeBie S, Kugler L, Anderson K, DePaepe A. Fibrillin immunofluorescence in “Rule Out” Marfan syndrome. American Journal of Human Genetics 57:1995 A321
Godfrey M, Cisler J, Kugler L, Anderson K, Patil K. Fibrillin Immunofluorescence in “Rule Out” Marfan Syndrome. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on the Marfan Syndrome, International Marfan Symposium, Berlin, Germany, 1994 (Abstract)
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Nebraska Foundation for Visually Impaired Children (NFVIC)
Executive Board Member, 2005-2009
Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration
Board Member, 2009 – present
