Dr Patrick Versace is a cataract and refractive surgeon with more than 25 years’ experience as a specialist ophthalmologist.
He holds appointments as a senior lecturer in Optometry and medicine at The University of New South Wales and Staff Specialist ophthalmologist at The Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick and Sydney Eye Hospital providing clinical service and registrar surgical training. After gaining Anaesthetic qualifications in London Dr Versace completed his specialist ophthalmology training with Sydney Eye Hospital to become a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.
He pursued an early passion for refractive surgery to become one of the first ophthalmologists to subspecialise in Laser Vision Correction in Australia. As a lead surgeon with Laser Sight Centres Dr Versace gained experience in all aspects of refractive correction surgery and was involved in the development of several techniques including the use of aberrometry to guide surgical correction.
He became a founding partner of Vision Group Australia (later to be known as Vision Eye Institute) treating many thousands of patients with Laser Vision correction and premium lens implant surgery working closely with optometry through shared care, educational CPD related activity, University teaching to both undergraduates and postgraduates and joint research initiatives.
Prior to embarking on a sub-specialty career path Dr Versace worked in a clinical teaching capacity with ‘Project Orbis’ as an ophthalmic anaesthetist travelling through Central and South America–a formative experience leading to an ongoing commitment to skills exchange teaching programs such as time in Myanmar teaching modern phaco cataract surgery.
Dr Versace has been involved in numerous clinical trials and is often an invited speaker at international meetings–most recently as Gold Medal lecturer at the Nethradhama meeting in India. He regularly contributes to the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery giving lecture sand participating in symposia.
As a member of the TGA Ophthalmic Clinical Advisory Group and specialist advisor to the ACMD (Advisory Committee for Medical Devices-Canberra) Dr Versace contributes to the safe introduction of new technologies to Australia–a fruitful use of experience gained working with the development of new IOL technologies both clinically in Australia and at a research level in Europe.
Having now returned from a European Sabbatical providing medical advice to a leading German lens manufacturer Dr Versace has joined with a group of leading ophthalmologists to form a new private clinical practice in Bondi Junction offering in-house laser vision correction and Intraocular lens-cataract surgery at East Sydney Private Hospital where he is a founding partner. Dr Versace’s approach to practice and surgery is customised, collaborative care using appropriate and modern technology in a safe environment
