R. Wayne Bowman, M.D.

  • Irene Wadel and Robert I. Atha, Jr. Professorship in Ophthalmology, in Honor of R. Wayne Bowman, M.D.
  • Ophthalmology
  • Cornea & External Disease
  • Refractive & Cataract Surgery

Biography

R. Wayne Bowman, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in corneal and external eye diseases and refractive surgery.

He holds the Irene Wadel and Robert I. Atha Jr. Professorship in Ophthalmology, in Honor of R. Wayne Bowman, M.D.

Dr. Bowman earned his medical degree at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, where he also performed a residency in internal medicine. He then completed the Lancaster Course in Ophthalmology, a partnership between Colby College and Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear – the oldest and largest ophthalmic educational course in the world designed for residents-in-training and practicing ophthalmologists. 

He received advanced training in corneal and external eye diseases through a fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, Dr. Bowman joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1984.

He is a frequent lecturer who has authored numerous book chapters and academic articles on a variety of ophthalmologic topics.

Dr. Bowman is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society, the Dallas County Medical Society, the Paton Society, the Texas Ophthalmological Association, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

He has been recognized as a D Magazine Best Doctor and Texas Monthly Super Doctor for many consecutive years.

Meet Dr. Bowman

LASIK and Cataract Surgery Specialist in Dallas

Ophthalmologist R. Wayne Bowman, M.D., was one of the first surgeons in the nation to gain experience in LASIK when the procedure was initially being tested by the FDA. He has stayed on top of the most leading-edge vision correction techniques ever since, and he’s currently an FDA investigator.

Dr. Bowman treats all corneal and external eye diseases, including performing cornea transplants and taking care of ocular infections, but he is best known for his work with LASIK, DMEK, DSEK, and cataract surgery.

LASIK uses a laser to reshape the cornea so that light traveling through it is properly focused onto the retina located in the back of the eye. Dr. Bowman has translated his experience with LASIK to his work with cataracts because of the level of vision correction it achieves.

He is also skilled in the latest techniques for cataract surgery, including laser-assisted cataract surgery and implantation of a variety of intraocular lenses, such as the Toric lens and multifocal lenses.

A caring and compassionate doctor who has been recognized by D Magazine as a Best Doctor and Texas Monthly as a Super Doctor, Dr. Bowman says it’s all about the patients for him, every day. 

“The patients are the focus of what we do. They are our world, our family,” he says. “It’s a privilege to interact with and take care of them.”

Dr. Bowman became well known in 2009 for taking care of one patient in particular when he performed cataract surgery on a 47-year-old gorilla named Timbo at the Dallas Zoo. The surgery was a success, and Timbo lived out her last few years being able to clearly see her gorilla friends and zoo visitors.

While that was a unique experience, cataract surgery on humans is continually gratifying, Dr. Bowman says, especially as technology constantly improves, enabling patients to recover quickly and have almost immediate vision improvement.

The newer technology gives him a different perspective on a surgery he has been performing for more than 30 years.

“It’s a field of innovation, continued advancement, and development that gives us a sense of excitement every day,” Dr. Bowman says. “For patients, this means safer procedures and better results.”

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Education & Training
  • Medical School - University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine (1972-1976)
  • Internship - U.of MO-Columbia Hospital (1976-1977), Internal Medicine
  • Residency - U.of MO-Columbia Hospital (1977-1978), Internal Medicine
  • Residency - U.of MO-Columbia Hospital (1979-1982), Ophthalmology
  • Fellowship - UT Health Science Center-Houston (1982-1984), Cornea & External Diseases
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • Cornea Society
  • Dallas County Medical Society
  • Dallas Academy of Ophthalmology
  • Texas Medical Association
  • Texas Ophthalmological Association
  • ARVO
  • Ocular Microbiology and Immunology Group
  • Eye Bank Association of America
  • Fellow, American College of Surgeon (1990-1996)
  • Tarrant County Ophthalmological Society
  • American Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
  • Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists
Honors & Awards
  • D Magazine Best Doctor
  • Texas Super Doctors, As seen in Texas Monthly Magazine
  • AAO Service Award 2019
  • Irene Wadel and Robert I Atha, Jr. Professorship in Ophthalmology in Honor of R. Wayne Bowman,MD 1999, Endowed Chair
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctors
  • Best Doctors in America
Books & Publications
  • Books
    • Ocular Bacteriology in Principles & Practice of Ophthalmology, 3rd ed.
      Ta C, Bowman RW, McCulley JP (2009)
    • Ocular Bacteriology in Principles & Practice of Ophthalmology, 2nd ed.
      Bowman RW, McCulley JP (2000)
    • Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and Rosacea in Ocular Infection and Immunity
      Bowman RW, McCulley JP, Jester JV (1996), Philadelphia, PA, Mosby-Yearbook, Inc
    • Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Blepharitis in Update on Infectious Diseases of the Eye
      McCulley JP, Shine W, Bowman RW (1994)
    • Ocular Bacteriology in Principles & Practice in Ophthalmology
      Bowman RW, McCulley, JP (1993)
    • Relapsing Polychondritis in The Eye in Systemic Disease
      Bowman RW, McCulley JP (1990), Philadelphia, PA, WB Saunders
    • Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Blepharitis in Focal Points 1989: Clinical Modules for Ophthalmologists, Vol. 7, Module 10
      Bowman RW, Miller K, McCulley JP (1989)
Research
  • Cataract, cataract surgery, ReStor, Crystalens, prebyopia, LASIK, Intralase, keratorefractive surgery, toric lenses, refractive lens exchange, Visian ICL, corneal transplantation, DALK, DSEK, K-PRO, laser-assisted cataract surgery

Clinical Focus

  • Cornea & External Disease
  • Refractive & Cataract Surgery
  • LASIK

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Q&A by Dr. Bowman