Geaux Health & Fitness Magazine June 2014 | Page 14

cover story

Dr. charles williamson
The nature of the practice of the
Williamson Eye Center is unique
in that it is a traditional family
based practice that now covers three
generations. Dr. Charles Williamson
is the CEO and Medical Director of
the Williamson Eye Center, which
was established more than 60 years
ago. The Williamson Eye Center
takes special pride in its recognition
for contributions to the field of eye
care and eye surgery as well as the
development of a unique and comprehensive eye care delivery system in
the greater Baton Rouge area.

“Dr. Williamson received
numerous teaching awards
and honors over the years
with his presentations as
well as pioneer awards for
his Clear Corneal Incision
surgery under topical
anesthesia using injectable
silicone intraocular lenses.”

A lifelong athlete, Dr. Charles Williamson went to LSU on a football scholarship and was selected
as a member of the Academic All
American Football Team in 1972.
He also received the Academic SEC
Awards in 1971 and 1972 and the
LSU Presidents Award for Academic
Excellence in 1972. After college, he
went to LSU School of Medicine; he
did a residency at the Eye Foundation Hospital in Birmingham, Ala.,
where he was chief resident.
The Williamson Eye Center was
founded in 1951 when Dr. Charles
Williamson’s father, Dr. William N.
(DOC) Williamson began his practice in Baton Rouge. Following in his
legacy, all four of his sons went into
medical practice together.
Dr. Charles H. Williamson began
his practice in Baton Rouge in 1980.

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geauxhealthandfitness.com June 2014

Along with his brother Dr. William
R. Williamson, he built the first
Outpatient Eye Surgery Center in
Louisiana in 1984. The Williamson
Eye Center has grown to more than
four locations with a central Outpatient Surgery Center, a Laser Vision
Correction Center, Two Cosmetic
Center locations, three Best Vision
Opticals as well as three surgeons,
seven optometrists, two P.A.s, 20
nurses and more than 100 employees.
Dr. Williamson received numerous
teaching awards and honors over
the years with his presentations as
well as pioneer awards for his Clear
Corneal Incision surgery under
topical anesthesia using injectable
silicone intraocular lenses. Dr.
Williamson is one of the pioneers of
the technique of cataract surgery called
Clear Corneal Cataract Surgery used
under topical drops.
Doctors worldwide have adopted
the techniques that he and the
early pioneers of this technique have
presented. Dr. Williamson has given
more than 60 presentations nationally and internationally concerning the
surgical techniques. He has been the
Dean of the Institute of Eye Studies
and Research of the Louisiana University of Medical Sciences, Assistant
Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology to LSU School of Medicine in
New Orleans and has been Medical
Research Consultant for STAAR
Surgical Company as well as EyeSys