When it comes to improving his vision care
skills and expertise, Dr. Phillips Kirk Labor continually goes above and
beyond to do the same for his patients. In addition to standard
certification all ophthalmologists must have, Dr. Labor is certified by the
American Board of Eye Surgery in the fields of LASIK and cataract surgery.
This voluntary certification requires more in-depth study and passing a
rigorous process of testing by his peers.
Dr. Labor’s
drive to be the best stems from his passion to care for people, which began
as a child. In many ways, this also comes from a life-changing medical event
he experienced firsthand in 1994. “I had open heart surgery due to a
congenital heart defect. All of a sudden, I had my life in someone else’s
hands,” he said. “In terms of understanding how patients feel, that was as
valuable as any education and training I could have ever
received.”
At the time, he was in the middle of his
residency at the Eye Foundation Hospital at The University of Alabama at
Birmingham having just been named chief resident. UAB is a highly renowned
medical facility known for attracting some of the world’s best heart
surgeons. “I was definitely in the right place at the right time, and will
never forget how fortunate I was,” he said. “I had the best caring for me and
promised myself I would provide that reassurance to every patient under my
care.”
Dr. Labor adds that this experience affects
everything he does, and that his practice conducts business very differently
because of it. “Where I might have checked twice before I treated a patient,
I now check three or four times, and I’m adamant about offering my patients
my full attention, never rushing someone through my office. I also want to
offer each patient the opportunity to discuss their upcoming surgery either
in person or by phone, whichever is most convenient for them.”
Over his long career, Dr. Labor has gained a
reputation as one of the most innovative eye surgeons in the U.S. and has
been the first locally, regionally, or nationally to perform several new
procedures. “Staying abreast of new technologies is imperative, yet I’ll
never adopt a technology just because it’s the latest thing; it must be truly
beneficial for my patients,” he said.
Several recent examples perfectly illustrate
this point, all of which are revolutionizing cataract treatment as we know
it.
For instance, he was the first in DFW to
implant the Light Adjustable Lens, the world’s first intraocular lens (IOL)
that can be custom adjusted to a patient’s own specific needs after cataract
surgery. “The LAL literally lets the patient test drive their vision,
allowing me to make adjustments until it’s how they want it,” he said. Dr.
Labor’s experience with this lens is unsurpassed given that he participated
in its early clinical trials to secure FDA approval. He’s considered one of
the LAL’s top authorities in the U.S. today.
Dr. Labor was also the first in North Texas
to implant the Apthera, the first and only FDA-approved “small
aperture” IOL. “Apthera’s remarkable small aperture technology
uniquely filters away unfocused light, allowing you to see text, people, and
objects across a full range of focal distances like never before,” he
said. To date, Dr. Labor is second in the U.S. in number of Apthera lenses
implanted.
Additionally, he was the first in North
America to implant the RayOne EMV lens (which stands for “Enhanced
Monovision”). “Where monovision increases your distance, intermediate
and near vision, and gives good distance and near vision, RayOne creates a
smooth transition from near to distance and all points in between, extending
a patient’s depth of focus in ways no other lens is capable of doing,” Dr.
Labor said.
Moreover, Dr. Labor was the first in DFW and
5th in the U.S. to use the ALLY™ Adaptive
Cataract Treatment System. “The ALLY uses next-generation femtosecond laser
technology allowing me to more precisely personalize a patient’s treatment
like no other technology of its kind,” he said.
While remaining at the forefront of the
latest advancements is important, Dr. Labor points out that this will never
replace the one-on-one doctor-patient relationship. “Technology allows us to
reassure patients, take the very best care of their eyes and give them their
personal best vision. In presenting surgical and treatment options, I must do
this in a way each patient can easily understand, including how I explain
their post-surgery care and available medications so they comprehend what
we’re doing and how it will benefit them. At the end of the day, in addition
to providing excellent surgical care, my job is to provide peace of
mind.”
Dr. Labor is internationally recognized for
his refractive work, having performed thousands of LASIK, PRK and cataract
lens implant procedures. In March 2023, the World College of Refractive
Surgery and Visual Sciences (WCRS) nominated him as a founding member and
fellow in recognition of his refractive surgery achievements. This places Dr.
Labor in an elite group of less than 1,000 refractive surgeons chosen from a
field of more than 280,000 ophthalmologists
worldwide.
He also serves on various healthcare policy
committees in Washington, DC, including serving as a past president of the
prestigious Society for Excellence in Eye Care (SEE), and was recently
elected President of the American College of Eye Surgeons
(ACES).
In addition
to his practice, he is the founder of LoneStar Ambulatory Surgery Center. This
truly state-of-the-art facility is adjacent to Eye Consultants of Texas,
allowing exams, testing, and surgeries to be conveniently performed at the
same location. He is also the founder of Dry Eye Institutes of America, a
specialty clinic within his practice fully devoted to the diagnosis and
treatment dry eye disease, and among the first of its kind in the
U.S.
When not on the job, Dr. Labor enjoys time
with his wife and their dogs and playing guitar in his band “The Machine”
at venues locally and across the
U.S.
CONTACT
2201
Westgate Plaza
Grapevine, Texas
76051
