T. Mark Johnson, M.D., FRCSC

Retina Specialist & Vitreoretinal Surgeon

Fellowship
W.K. Kellogg Eye Center (University of Michigan)

Residency
University of Ottawa Eye Institute

“Depending on the complexity of their condition—and the period of time that you treat them—a good doctor should do more than impart medical advice to patients. You are a source of comfort, stability and sometimes, even a confidant. And you don’t learn that in med school; your patients actually teach you.”

Dr. Johnson received his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario, where he was presented with the Hewlett Packard Award as the school’s top medical graduate. He completed his residency at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute, followed by a fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery and Uveitis at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center.

Prior to joining The Retina Group of Washington, Dr. Johnson spent nine years as an attending surgeon at the National Retina Institute. He has been quite active in research and education in the vitreoretinal field, having given lectures to both local and international groups and published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. He serves as a reviewer for Retina, Ophthalmology and the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and also is editor of “Evidence Based Eye Care,” a standard textbook used in ophthalmic training programs. He has contributed chapters to numerous other textbooks on macular surgery, retinal detachment repair, ocular trauma, diabetic retinopathy, treatment of macular degeneration and advanced retinal imaging. Dr. Johnson has long been highly respected by his fellow physicians; he was recently named one of the area’s top ophthalmologists on the annual Washingtonian “Top Doctors” list compiled by his professional peers.

Dr. Johnson is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a trilinguist (English, Spanish and French) who is licensed to practice in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. He is a former president of the Washington DC Metropolitan Ophthalmological Society, and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and the American Society of Retinal Specialists. He currently chairs the Business Development Team for PRISM South in the DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia area.

Media Appearances & Activities/Accomplishments

Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star Profiles Dr. T. Mark Johnson’s Diagnosis of Rare Melanoma, Referral for Immediate Treatment Which Saved Patient’s Life and Preserved His Vision

A recent front page story in the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star (Va.) profiled Dr. T. Mark Johnson’s vision-saving diagnosis of a patient’s rare melanoma. Dr. Johnson identified a small tumor on the ciliary body, an area behind the iris that controls the shape of the lens and produces the clear fluid in the front of the eyeball. He referred the Stafford County man for a specialized form of plaque radiotherapy, which because it was administered in timely fashion, prevented the cancer from metastasizing elsewhere in the body.

According to the article, melanoma in the eye is rare; there are only six to seven cases per million people per year in the United States. Ciliary body melanoma is even more so, since it occurs in only 10% of ocular melanoma patients. W hile the plaque radiotherapy treatment is 98 percent effective in controlling the eye tumor, the lesson to be learned from this experience is that people need to have regular eye exams. As Dr. Johnson explains, “blood vessels n the retina are the smallest in the human body that you can look at directly, so they tell you a lot about other vascular vessels in the heart, brain and kidney.”

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Frederick News-Post Runs Story on RGW Vision-Impaired Patient & Dr. T. Mark Johnson’s Suggestion of NUEyes’ Digitally-enhanced Vision Glasses to Help Patient Become More Visually Independent

A recent Frederick News-Post article featured a RGW vision-impaired patient’s trial use of a new digitally-enhanced head-worn device to help her become more visually independent in the face of a diagnosis of Choroidal Neovascularization that significantly affects her central vision. The NuEyes’ device, which Dr. T. Mark Johnson suggested the patient use on a trial basis, utilizes the latest technology that allows patients to easily magnify objects through a voice command, a wireless Bluetooth controller or simply by touching the glasses themselves.

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Dr. T. Mark Johnson does Live Interview at Halftime of Washington Wizards’ Game Broadcast in Conjunction with RGW’s Standing as the Team’s Official Eye Doctor

Dr. Joshua Levinson, Dr. Richard Garfinkel & Dr. Michael Lai published an article entitled “Bilateral Uveitis following Typhoid Fever” in the Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases. Typhoid fever is caused by a bacterial infection endemic in many developing nations. During recovery from the illness, patients may develop an autoimmune syndrome affecting multiple organs including the eyes. In this paper, the RGW doctors describe one of the first cases of typhoid-related uveitis ever reported in the United States.

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