
Peter Hersh
The Cornea & Laser Eye Institute
Dr. Hersh is a revered ophthalmic surgeon who has participated in many FDA clinical trials of excimer laser LASIK and other surgical corrections of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and keratoconus. Most prominently, he was lead author of the clinical study that led to the very first FDA approval of laser vision correction for the treatment of nearsightedness in the United States in 1995. He also was one of 2 investigators to present the Conductive Keratoplasty procedure to the FDA device panel, resulting in its 2002 approval. More recently, Dr. Hersh served as medical monitor and was lead author of the two studies leading to U.S. FDA approvals of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) for keratoconus and corneal ectasia.
Dr. Hersh has been elected to the American Ophthalmological Society, the oldest and most prestigious eye surgery association in the country. He has also been awarded the Senior Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, an honor bestowed on fewer than 1% of eye surgeons, and has been selected for Best Doctors in America for over 10 years running. Due to his philanthropic work, he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International.

Vance Thompson
Vance Thompson Vision
Vance Thompson, M.D. is a board-certified ophthalmologist in Sioux Falls, SD specializing in laser vision correction and advanced cataract surgery. A leading expert in LASIK and cataract surgery, Dr. Thompson strives to enrich his patients’ lives by helping them experience visual clarity. Dr. Thompson currently serves as a professor of ophthalmology at the Sanford USD School of Medicine and hopes to continue sharing his extensive knowledge of laser and implant vision correction for years to come.
With more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Thompson has performed more than 75,000 vision correction surgeries worldwide and remains among a select group of refractive and cataract surgeons who prioritize the use of innovative, advanced surgical techniques. As a leading international researcher, Dr. Thompson has played an important role in the discovery and development of the advanced technologies and techniques used in both laser and implant vision correction surgeries today. Serving as the medical monitor lead, or principal investigator, Dr. Thompson has led over 65 FDA-monitored clinical trials on the subjects and has published numerous papers and book chapters on his findings.