Vitreoretinal Surgery and Disease

Robert T King MD is a board certified ophthalmologist who completed a two-year medical and surgical fellowship in vitreoretinal disease at The University of Texas in 1994. Since then, he has been the director of retinal services at The Georgia Eye Institute.

Dr. King is a native of North Carolina and attended Duke University for both his undergraduate and medical degrees. During these years he was involved in many research projects including: Central retinal vein occlusion, multiple myeloma, muscle physiology, early retinal development. He received a research scholarship while in medical school at Duke and spent his year of research developing a model for proliferative vitreoretinopathy. He performed and completed his ophthalmology residency training at George Washington University in Washington, DC. in 1992.

Dr. King completed a two-year fellowship in medical and surgical retina at the University of Texas in Houston at Hermann Hospital under Drs. Charlie Garcia and Michael Bloome. During his fellowship, he completed and published a prospective research project on retinal findings of intensive care patients with and without fungemia.

As managing partner of Georgia Eye, he lead the group to early implementation of electronic medical records in 2009 and its adoption of Heidelberg retinal imaging in most of its locations. Since 2011, the group has had a state of the art two-room ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in which he performs 25 and 27 gauge sutureless vitrectomies using the Alcon Constellation system. The opening of the ASC allowed easier access to an operating room for emergent retinal cases and the ability to perform complex combined cases with the anterior segment surgeons of Georgia Eye.

Robert King, M.D.

Dr. King alternates daily coverage of the main office at 4720 Waters Ave on the Memorial Hospital campus with his partner, Dr. Robin Ray. He has satellite clinics in Statesboro, Brunswick and Hardeeville. While he performs most of his surgeries at the Georgia Eye ambulatory surgery center, he maintains full privileges at Memorial Hospital and consulting privileges at St Joe’s Chandler Hospital system.

The retina practice offers Heidelberg imaging in all of its clinics. The practice offers OCT, fluorescein angiography, ICG angiography, wide field imaging for fluorescein and ICG, B scan and UBM anterior segment imaging as well as laser therapy in most locations. The Georgia Eye retina practice is one of the first in Georgia to offer the Irises micropulse laser for treatment of central macular swelling associated with diabetes and vein occlusion.

During his 20 years of covering the Georgia Eye retinal patients, he has not restricted his practice to any specific area in retina but enjoys the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that are common to a complex retina practice. These conditions include but are not limited to diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, uveitis, and retinal vascular diseases. Dr. King proudly brought Dr. Robin Ray into the practice in 2011 and they share in the care of their patients for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons and also in attempt to provide care closest to the patients’ home.

When Dr. King is not seeing patients or involved in the management of Georgia Eye Institute, he can be found at the Savannah Golf club hitting balls and working on his other passion, golf.

He has been married to India since 1988 and has three wonderful daughters with whom he enjoys traveling and cooking. He maintains an interest in reading, gardening and his chickens.

Bluffton Parkway Location:
109 Persimmon Street
Bluffton, SC
29910

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Brunswick Location:
3303 Glynn Avenue
Brunswick, Georgia
31520
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Savannah Location:
4720 Waters Avenue
Savannah, Georgia
31404
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Pooler Location:
1000 Towne Center, Unit 806
Pooler, GA 31322
912-450-3500
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Statesboro Location:
420 Gentilly Place
Statesboro, Georgia
30458
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Robin Ray, M.D.

Robin Ray, M.D. is a board-certified and fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in the medical and surgical treatment of retinal diseases. He joined the Georgia Eye Institute in July 2011.

Dr. Ray grew up on the west coast of Florida and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL with majors in biology and chemistry. While completing his medical degree at Duke University, Dr. Ray spent a year doing research for the retina service in the department of ophthalmology. His research interests included the use of novel imaging techniques for evaluating the macula and new treatments for preventing retinal re-detachment. Dr. Ray served as chief resident while completing his ophthalmology residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He finished his subspecialty training in vitreoretinal surgery and disease at Emory University in Atlanta. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Ray has published several papers in leading peer-reviewed journals and presented his research and national and international meetings. He is currently on staff at Memorial Health University Medical Center and the St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System. He sees patients at our Savannah, Statesboro, Hinesville, and Hardeeville, SC locations. His areas of expertise include, retinal detachment surgery, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, uveitis, ocular trauma, and macular hole/pucker surgery.

When he is not seeing patients, Dr. Ray enjoys spending time and travelling with his family. When not seeing patients he can usually be found watching the Miami Hurricanes while grilling on his Big Green Egg. He and his wife, pediatrician Alison Niebanck, MD, reside in Savannah.

  • Diabetic Retinopathy
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Retinal Detachment
  • Retinal Vascular Disease (Vein Occlusion)
  • Macular Hole
  • Macular Pucker
  • Uveitis
  • Ocular Trauma
  • Inherited Retinal Disease

  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • American Society of Retina Specialists
  • Georgia Society of Ophthalmology

 

Fellowship
Vitreoretinal Surgery and Disease – Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine – Atlanta, GA

Residency
Ophthalmology – Baylor College of Medicine – Houston, TX

Medical School
M.D. – Duke University School of Medicine – Durham, NC

Undergraduate
Bachelor of Science – University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL


Publications

  1. Sawhney GK, Payne JF, Ray R, Mehta S, Bergstrom CS, Yeh S. Combination anti-VEGF and corticosteroid therapy for idiopathic retinal vasculitis, aneurysms, and neuroretinitis syndrome. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2013 Nov 1;44(6):599-602.
  2. Ray R, Baranano DE, Hubbard GB. Treatment of Coats’ Disease with IntravitrealBevacizumab. Br J Ophthalmol. 2013 Mar; 97(3):272-7.
  3. Ray R, Baranano DE, Fortun JA, Schwent MD, Cribbs BE, Bergstrom CS, Hubbard GB, Srivastava SK. Intraoperative Microscope Mounted Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography for Evaluation of Retinal Anatomy During Macular Surgery. Ophthalmology. 2011 Nov;118(11):2212-7
  4. Payne JF, Ray R, Watson DG, Delille C, Rimler E, Lynn ML, Cleveland J, Tangpricha V, Srivastava S. Vitamin D Deficiency in Diabetic Retinopathy. EndocrPract. 2011 Sep 22:1-18.
  5. Payne JF, Tangpricha V, Cleveland J, Lynn M, Ray R, Srivastava S. Serum Insulin-like Growth Factor-I in Diabetic Retinopathy. Molecular Vision 2011 Aug;17:2318-24.
  6. Font RL, Ray R, Mazow ML, Del Valle M. MesenchymalChondrosarcoma of the orbit: a unique radiologic-pathologic correlation. OphthalPlastReconstr Surg. 2009 May-June; 25(3): 219-22.
  7. Reddy AK, Ray R, Yen, KG. Surgical Intervention for Traumatic Cataracts in Children: Epidemiology, Complications, and Outcomes. J AAPOS 2009 Apr; 13(2): 170-4.
  8. Ray R, Foroozan, R. Uveo-meningeal Syndromes. IntOphthalmolClin 2007 Fall; 47(4): 131-49.
  9. Ray R, Stinnett SS, Jaffe GJ. Evaluation of image artifact produced by optical coherence tomography of retinal pathology. Am J Ophthalmol 2005 Jan; 139(1): 18-29.

Presentations at National and International Meetings

  1. Ray R. Interesting Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Finding in a 12 year-old Girl with Posterior Uveitis. [paper] ASRS 2012, Las Vegas, NV (August 2012)
  2. Payne JF, Ray R, Cleveland J, Lynn M, Srivastava S. Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Diabetic Retinopathy. [poster] ARVO 2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2011)
  3. Robinson J, Ray R, Bergstrom CS, Grossniklaus HE, Hubbard GB, Srivastava SK. Intraoperative Spectral Domain OCT Evaluation of Internal Limiting Membrane Stripping in Macular Hole and Macular Hole and Macular Pucker Repair. [poster] ARVO 2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2011)
  4. Payne JF, Ray R, Watson DG, Delille C, Rimler E, Lynn M, Tangpricha V, Srivastava SK. The Association of Vitamin D deficiency and Diabetic Retinopathy. [poster] AAO 2010, Chicago, IL (October 2010)
  5. Ray R, Baranano DE, Hubbard GB. Treatment of Coats’ Disease with Intravitreous Bevacizumab. [paper] ASRS 2010, Vancouver, BC, Canada (August 2010)
  6. Ray R, Fortun JA, Baranano DE, Schwent BJ, Cribbs BE, Bergstrom CS, Hubbard GB, Srivastava SK. Intraoperative Evaluation of Retinal Anatomy by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography During Macular Hole Surgery. [paper] ARVO 2010, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2010).
  7. Baranano DE, Fortun JA, Ray R, Charkoudian LD, Bergstrom CS, Cribbs BE, Schwent BJ, Hubbard GB, Srivastava SK. Intraoperative Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography for Macular Pucker Surgery. [poster] ARVO 2010, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2010)
  8. Rahman HT, Barkmeier AJ, Ray R, Holz ER, Carvounis PE. Vitreous Substitute Removal Rates with the Constellation Vitrectomy System. [poster] ARVO 2010, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2010).
  9. Ray R, Heffez JL, Barkmeier AJ, Holz ER, Carvounis PE. Prospective Monitoring of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Following Intravitreous Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Injections. [poster] ARVO 2009, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2009).
  10. Ray R, Yoon D, Abd-El-Barr, MM, Prchal JT, Wu SM, Holz ER, Albini TA, Carvounis PE. Electroretinographic Findings In Knockin Mice with Gain of Function and Loss of Function Erythropoietin Receptor Signaling. [poster] ARVO 2008, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2008).
  11. Jaffe GJ, Ray R, Stinnett SS. Evaluation of image artifact produced by optical coherence tomography of retinal pathology. [paper] Macula Society Meeting 2004, Las Vegas, NV, USA (March 2004)
  12. Ray R, Stinnett SS, Jaffe GJ. Evaluation of image artifact produced by optical coherence tomography of retinal pathology. [poster] ARVO 2004, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (May 2004).

Bluffton Parkway Location:
109 Persimmon Street
Bluffton, SC
29910

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Hinesville Location:
741 Weeping Willow Drive
Hinesville, Georgia
31313
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Savannah Location:
4720 Waters Avenue
Savannah, Georgia
31404
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Pooler Location:
1000 Towne Center, Unit 806
Pooler, GA 31322
912-450-3500
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Statesboro Location:
420 Gentilly Place
Statesboro, Georgia
30458
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