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How to Check an Eye Surgeon in Los Angeles: License, Board Certification and Questions to Ask

Ads, star ratings and before-and-after photos say little about a surgeon's standing. A few public checks and a well-prepared consultation say much more. This guide walks through the process with Los Angeles examples.

Updated
Woman takes notes at a home desk while her husband looks on, researching a surgeon in the evening

Key takeaways

  • The FDA doesn't regulate the practice of medicine, keeps no registry of doctors and doesn't make referrals, so verifying a surgeon is up to you.
  • Check the individual surgeon's California medical license and board certification, not just the practice name.
  • Confirm academic or hospital affiliations on the institution's own website.
  • Compare at least two consultations, and don't choose on cost alone.

Why nobody else does this for you

It's easy to assume a federal agency vets LASIK surgeons. It doesn't. The FDA's LASIK FAQs say it does not regulate the practice of medicine, has no registry of doctors and does not make referrals. It also does not regulate how LASIK is marketed or what practices charge.

That leaves three public anchors: the state medical license, specialty board certification and the institutions a surgeon works with. Together with a good consultation, they give you a solid picture.

Step by step: verifying a surgeon

  1. Get the surgeon's full nameAsk the practice for the full name of the physician who will operate on you. Practices with several surgeons, or heavy advertising, sometimes lead with the brand rather than the person.
  2. Look up the California licenseUse the Medical Board of California website to find the physician's license. Check that the name matches, that the license is current, and read any public information listed.
  3. Confirm board certificationFor ophthalmologists, the American Board of Ophthalmology offers a tool to verify a diplomate. For other specialists, such as plastic surgeons doing eyelid surgery, check with the relevant board or the ABMS Certification Matters site.
  4. Verify affiliations at the sourceIf a practice mentions UCLA, USC, Cedars-Sinai or Kaiser, look for the surgeon on that institution's own website. Kaiser and Cedars-Sinai, for example, publish individual physician profile pages.
  5. Ask who does whatAsk who performs your evaluation, the surgery and each follow-up visit, and who covers calls after hours.
  6. See more than one practiceThe FDA advises against settling for the first center or doctor you look at, and against choosing on cost alone.
Check affiliation claims

Phrases like “trained at” or “affiliated with” can mean many things. Training history is worth knowing, but confirm any current affiliation on the institution's own website, and still check the individual license and board status.

What LA's academic eye centers can and can't tell you

Los Angeles has several major academic eye centers. UCLA's Stein Eye Institute was founded in 1966, and UCLA says it has ranked among the country's top eye care centers since national rankings began in 1990. The USC Roski Eye Institute ranked No. 5 nationally in NIH ophthalmology research funding in 2025, according to the Blue Ridge Institute. Doheny Eye Institute, a nonprofit affiliated with Stein, opened its Pasadena headquarters campus in June 2022.

Those facts describe institutions, not individual surgeons. They're a reasonable place to start your search, but the same checks apply to every doctor, academic or private. For procedure-specific questions, see our guides to LASIK, cataract surgery and eyelid surgery.

Questions to bring to the consultation

About the surgeon

  • How many of these procedures do you perform, and for how long have you been doing them?
  • Will you personally perform my surgery and see me afterward?
  • At which hospitals or surgery centers do you operate?

About your candidacy

  • Which tests did you run, and what did they show?
  • For LASIK: did you test me for dry eye? The labeling for one FDA-approved laser says doctors should.
  • Is my prescription stable enough? The FDA flags changes in the past year.
  • What would make you advise against this surgery for someone like me?

About results and complications

  • Will I still need glasses, including for reading?
  • Which problems are most likely for someone with my eyes, and how are they handled?
  • If I need a second procedure, who pays?

About cost

  • Is the price per eye or for both eyes, and what does it include?
  • Is anything billed separately, such as the facility or anesthesia?
  • What is the refund policy if I decide not to proceed?

Keep the FDA's caution in mind: “Even the best screened patients under the care of most skilled surgeons can experience serious complications.” A good surgeon will discuss that openly.

If something goes wrong

Start with your surgeon, who knows your case. For LASIK, the FDA accepts injury reports through MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088. Concerns about a physician's conduct can be raised with the Medical Board of California. For urgent eye problems, contact an eye doctor right away; UCLA's Stein Eye Institute offers same-day evaluation for urgent eye problems at (310) 825-5000. In an emergency, call 911.

Red flags

  • The practice won't name the surgeon or share license details.
  • You can't find the surgeon in the Medical Board of California's records.
  • Claimed board certification doesn't match the board's own records.
  • Everyone seems to be told they're a candidate.
  • You're pressed to pay a deposit on the day of the consultation.
  • The practice won't put a price quote in writing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check whether an eye surgeon is licensed in California?

Search the physician's name on the Medical Board of California website and confirm the license is current and the details match. Ask the practice for the surgeon's full name if you don't have it.

What does board certified mean for an ophthalmologist?

It means certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology, which offers an online tool to verify diplomates. Certification is separate from the state license, so check both.

Does the FDA approve or recommend LASIK surgeons?

No. The FDA says it doesn't regulate the practice of medicine, keeps no registry of doctors and doesn't make referrals. Its role covers devices such as lasers, not individual surgeons.

Is a surgeon at UCLA or USC automatically a better choice?

Not automatically. UCLA Stein and USC Roski are major academic centers, but rankings and research funding describe institutions. Check the individual surgeon's license, board status and experience either way.

Can this site recommend a surgeon?

No. We're an independent guide, not a medical practice. We don't rank surgeons, accept paid placements or take referral fees. Use these checks along with advice from your own physician.

Sources

  1. LASIK FAQs — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  2. What are the risks and how can I find the right doctor for me? — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  3. When is LASIK not for me? — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  4. Patient labeling for an FDA-approved LASIK laser (PMA P060004) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  5. Medical Board of California — Medical Board of California
  6. Certification Matters — American Board of Medical Specialties
  7. UCLA Stein Eye Institute — UCLA Health
  8. Ophthalmology services — UCLA Health
  9. Department of Ophthalmology — UCLA Health
  10. Doheny history — Doheny Eye Institute
  11. Ophthalmology research — Keck School of Medicine of USC
  12. Physician profile, Los Angeles Medical Center ophthalmology — Kaiser Permanente
  13. Ophthalmologist provider profile — Cedars-Sinai