Dr. Deborah DiStefano

Dr. Deborah DiStefano is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist. She received her ophthalmology specialty training at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She completed a corneal fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard University in Boston. She was awarded "Who's Who In The South and Southeast 1983-1984 and in 1996 through 2008 "Best Doctor in America" as seen on "60 Minutes."

Dr. DiStefano was recruited from her Harvard fellowship to Chattanooga to become the Chairperson of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She remained in that position for 10 years. She then resigned to focus on her refractive practice and family. She maintains her educational involvement as an Assistant Clinical Instructor at the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine.

Her refractive surgery experience began in 1984 and she performed 7000 to 8000 cases. Since the FDA approval of Excimer laser, few RKs are currently being performed. Dr. DiStefano's laser experience began with the approval of the excimer laser in 1996. She has performed well over 10,000 laser procedures for myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism, and hyperopia (farsightedness). Dr. DiStefano offers multiple technologies to personalize the choices in vision correction procedures for individual patient needs, including bladeless LASIK called IntraLase. She also offers a non-laser choice to patients who choose to not wear readers, a procedure called NearVision CK.

Dr. DiStefano is a member of the American Medical Association, International Society of Refractive Surgery, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is also a member of several local organizations, such as Room At The Inn and Children's Advocacy Center. She is on the board of the Helene DiStefano Fund, an organization founded to assist moms with breast cancer who are in financial crisis.

Dr. DiStefano is the Director and Founder of the DiStefano Medical Spa. Patients may receive a number of medically approved cosmetic procedures, including Latisse, eye lifts, Botox and other injectibles along with a full complement of additional spa treatments.

Dr. DiStefano resides in Chattanooga with her husband, and son. She enjoys her involvement with her son's many activities. They all enjoy boating and vacationing on the Gulf.

Dr. DiStefano was invited to be a guest vision expert for Ivanhoe.com as well as being a featured ophthalmologist on the website: AllAboutVision.com. Both sites are sources for vision and health information for patients and doctors on the Internet.