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Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD

Accepting New Patients

(66 Ratings)

Specializes in: Ophthalmology (Eye Disease)

University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine (1995)

Professional interests include: macular degeneration, cataract surgery, cornea problems, and more.

8 MEDICAL PARK DRIVE
Asheville, NC 28803

(980) 365-8068

Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD is an ophthalmologist in Asheville, NC specializing in ophthalmology (eye disease). He graduated from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine in 1995 and has 30 years of experience. Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD is affiliated with Mission Hospital, Mission Health and ASHEVILLE EYE ASSOCIATES PLLC.

Office Locations

Address:

8 MEDICAL PARK DRIVE
Asheville, NC 28803

Some issues Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD can help you with:

LASIK

LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a surgical procedure that improves vision by permanently correcting refractive vision errors. Refractive vision errors are sight problems (such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism) that typically require patients to wear contact lenses or glasses. Nearsightedness (myopia) causes blurred vision at a distance, while farsightedness (hyperopia) makes objects that are up close appear blurry. Astigmatism results in blurred vision at both near and far distances. Each eye is either nearsighted or farsighted, and can additionally have astigmatism. These refractive vision errors develop from imperfections in the curvature of the eye, which LASIK fixes through the use of a laser. The laser changes the shape of the eye by cutting away tissue from the cornea (clear outer layer of the eye).

LASIK is generally considered an elective procedure (not medically necessary) since patients can wear glasses or contact lenses instead of undergoing LASIK. Nevertheless, many people still elect to undergo LASIK to have better vision without having to wear corrective lenses. Certain professionals, such as pilots, military members, firefighters, and athletes, might particularly benefit from LASIK.

Ophthalmologists (eye doctors) evaluate patients before surgery, measuring the cornea and checking for any eye irregularities that would disqualify patients from LASIK. A special eye scanner is used to create a map of the cornea. This map guides the surgeon in developing an individualized LASIK treatment plan. Once approved for LASIK, contact-wearers are advised to switch to glasses for the three weeks leading up to their surgery.

LASIK is a brief procedure, lasting for about half an hour, depending on the state of a patient's eyes and the corneal reshaping required. Patients lie down on a reclining chair and have numbing eye drops applied to one or both eyes to eliminate pain and discomfort during the procedure. While the eyes are held open by a device, the eye surgeon raises a fixation light where patients direct their eyes. The surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to cut a precise circular incision in the cornea's surface. The surgeon then manually folds back the corneal flap to access the stroma (inner cornea).

An excimer laser is then used to remove certain amounts of corneal tissue. For patients with farsightedness, the laser cuts tissue on the outer regions of the cornea, making the central cornea more prominent. For patients with nearsightedness, the opposite is done; central corneal tissue is removed while the outer tissue is left alone, flattening the eye. In patients with astigmatism, the laser is used to even out the surface of the corneal tissue, making the eye more spherical. When the lasering process is complete, the ophthalmologist folds the corneal flap to its regular position. The flap quickly begins to heal and naturally reattach itself to the eye.

LASIK patients need someone to drive them home from the procedure and cannot drive for the following 24 hours. Recovery from LASIK lasts about five days. Patients typically notice improved vision within a day or two of surgery. Prescription eye drops are given to patients to alleviate discomfort and promote eye healing. During this recovery time, patients must be incredibly careful not to touch or rub their eyes. Ophthalmologists often instruct patients to wear protective glasses during the day and night to prevent potential damage from eye rubbing.

LASIK can improve the experience of certain activities such as swimming or reading, and in some cases, LASIK can be a life-changing procedure for those with severe refractive vision errors. LASIK may also save patients money by eliminating the recurring need for updated corrective lenses.

capsulotomy	68
doctor visit	249
eye procedures	2940
lab tests	269
laser treatment	68
transplant procedures	17

**Gender**
Male	563
Female	901

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1396
Black	38
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	13
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	795
From 75 to 84	467
85 and over	127
Less than 65	75

Hypertension	56
High Cholesterol	48
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	21
Depression	14
Chronic Kidney Disease	12
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	7
Diabetes	22
Dementia	5
Cancer	10

capsulotomy	65
doctor visit	297
eye procedures	2392
lab tests	904
laser treatment	65

**Gender**
Male	531
Female	886

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1339
Black	32
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	769
From 75 to 84	409
85 and over	145
Less than 65	94

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	47
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	14
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	8
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	23
Dementia	6
Cancer	10

capsulotomy	117
doctor visit	361
eye procedures	2942
lab tests	799
laser treatment	117
ultrasound (sonogram)	12

**Gender**
Male	1178
Female	1950

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	2938
Black	82
Hispanic	46
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	1680
From 75 to 84	920
85 and over	312
Less than 65	216

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	46
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	16
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	23
Dementia	5
Cancer	10

capsulotomy	78
doctor visit	294
eye procedures	2893
lab tests	123
laser treatment	78

**Gender**
Male	571
Female	943

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1439
Black	29
Hispanic	13
Asian	0
Other	22
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	843
From 75 to 84	455
85 and over	130
Less than 65	86

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	45
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	18
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	22
Dementia	5
Cancer	8

capsulotomy	114
doctor visit	285
eye procedures	2378
lab tests	70
laser treatment	114
transplant procedures	18

**Gender**
Male	499
Female	798

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1230
Black	26
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	25
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	718
From 75 to 84	420
85 and over	84
Less than 65	75

Hypertension	59
High Cholesterol	37
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	8
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	22
Dementia	5
Cancer	8

capsulotomy	94
doctor visit	357
excision	12
eye procedures	2313
laser treatment	94
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	12
transplant procedures	18

**Gender**
Male	421
Female	627

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	991
Black	13
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	577
From 75 to 84	359
85 and over	68
Less than 65	44

Hypertension	54
High Cholesterol	46
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	17
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	19
Dementia	5
Cancer	9

capsulotomy	120
doctor visit	365
eye procedures	2041
laser treatment	120

**Gender**
Male	299
Female	477

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	728
Black	15
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	20
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	419
From 75 to 84	276
85 and over	44
Less than 65	37

Hypertension	53
High Cholesterol	43
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	21
Dementia	4
Cancer	9

capsulotomy	115
doctor visit	418
eye procedures	1512
laser treatment	115

**Gender**
Male	237
Female	341

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	540
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	18
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	317
From 75 to 84	192
85 and over	42
Less than 65	27

Hypertension	51
High Cholesterol	42
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	19
Dementia	5
Cancer	8

capsulotomy	299
doctor visit	1062
eye procedures	3267
laser treatment	299

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD treated as an ophthalmologist in Asheville, NC were eye procedures, lab tests, capsulotomy and laser treatment.

capsulotomy	118
doctor visit	412
excision	12
eye procedures	2525
lab tests	433
laser treatment	118
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	12
transplant procedures	17
ultrasound (sonogram)	12

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD.

**Gender**
Female	692
Male	429

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	23
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	1060
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	5
Other	14

**Age**
85 and over	95
75 to 84	349
Less than 65	65
65 to 74	611

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and diabetes.

Hypertension	44
High Cholesterol	35
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	17
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	13
Asthma	5
Osteoporosis	7
Heart Failure	7
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	7
Diabetes	17
Atrial Fibrillation	7
Dementia	4
Cancer	7

Education & Training

Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD graduated from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine in 1995. He has a state license in North Carolina.

Medical School: University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine (1995)

Licensed In: North Carolina

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Mission Hospital

Mission Health

ASHEVILLE EYE ASSOCIATES PLLC

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.97 out of 5 stars based on 66 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Asheville, NC.

4.97

Overall Rating

(66 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Abbott Laboratories	$3,172 Optics $3,118	Medical Optics $54
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.	$1,620 Tecnis Multifocal family of 1-piece IOLs $660	Whitestar Phacoemulsficiation System $213	Whitestar Signature $192	Healon Viscoelastics $140	Tecnis IOL $139	Other $276
Alcon Vision LLC	$1,259 PANOPTIX $278	Centurion $232	AcrySof IQ PanOptix $228	Wavelight Refractive Suite $212	CLAREON $141	Other $168
LENSAR, Inc.	$746 LENSAR LASER SYSTEM $746
Allergan Inc.	$492 RESTASIS $390	LUMIGAN $87	BOTOX $15
Other	$1,883 Omidria $232	Photrexa $154	EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection $120	TRULIGN TORIC $112	Multiple Brands Contact Lens $108	Other $1,156

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$6,327
Consulting Fee	$2,000
Travel and Lodging	$845

Research Payments

Dr. Damien Charles Macaluso, MD has received 2 research payments totaling $5,177.

Biography

Dr. Damien Macaluso is a specialist in ophthalmology (eye disease). Patient ratings for Dr. Macaluso average 5.0 stars (out of 5). Clinical interests for Dr. Macaluso include conjunctivitis (pink eye), macular degeneration, and ulcers. He is affiliated with Mission Health and Mission Hospital. Dr. Macaluso's practice in Asheville, NC is open to new patients as reported by Doctor.com. He attended medical school at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine.