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Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD

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(Dr. David Castillejos, M.D.)

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Specializes in: Ophthalmology (Eye Disease)

National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine (1981)

Professional interests include: cataract surgery, laser surgery, intraocular lens (IOL) implant, and more.

342 F Street
Chula Vista, CA 91910

(619) 422-1471

Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD is an ophthalmologist in Chula Vista, CA specializing in ophthalmology (eye disease). He graduated from National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine in 1981 and has 44 years of experience. Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD is affiliated with Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Paradise Valley Hospital, Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista, Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Health, CASTILLEJOS EYE INSTITUTE MEDICAL GROUP, Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego and Scripps Mercy Surgery Pavilion.

Office Locations

Address:

342 F Street
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Some issues Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, 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	15
eye procedures	1951
laser treatment	15
ultrasound (sonogram)	162

**Gender**
Male	257
Female	500

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	72
Black	14
Hispanic	590
Asian	60
Other	21
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	288
From 75 to 84	296
85 and over	106
Less than 65	67

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	30
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	62
Dementia	14
Cancer	6

eye procedures	1416
ultrasound (sonogram)	96

**Gender**
Male	204
Female	380

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	54
Black	12
Hispanic	450
Asian	56
Other	12
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	200
From 75 to 84	249
85 and over	87
Less than 65	48

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	37
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	30
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	62
Dementia	14
Cancer	5

eye procedures	1501
injections	36
ultrasound (sonogram)	69

**Gender**
Male	394
Female	744

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	124
Black	26
Hispanic	838
Asian	122
Other	28
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	390
From 75 to 84	434
85 and over	188
Less than 65	126

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	37
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	28
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	61
Dementia	16
Cancer	5

eye procedures	1955
injections	27
ultrasound (sonogram)	151

**Gender**
Male	245
Female	455

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	83
Black	19
Hispanic	498
Asian	80
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	285
From 75 to 84	248
85 and over	99
Less than 65	68

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	44
Asthma	19
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	31
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	63
Dementia	15
Cancer	6

eye procedures	1646
ultrasound (sonogram)	117

**Gender**
Male	201
Female	392

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	63
Black	0
Hispanic	426
Asian	63
Other	22
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	240
From 75 to 84	213
85 and over	92
Less than 65	48

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	48
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	6
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	62
Dementia	14
Cancer	7

diagnostic imaging	12
eye procedures	1868
injections	28
ultrasound (sonogram)	109

**Gender**
Male	235
Female	414

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	72
Black	0
Hispanic	452
Asian	82
Other	23
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	251
From 75 to 84	240
85 and over	95
Less than 65	63

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	37
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	46
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	26
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	59
Dementia	12
Cancer	8

eye procedures	2157
injections	46
ultrasound (sonogram)	13

**Gender**
Male	245
Female	464

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	80
Black	20
Hispanic	474
Asian	105
Other	30
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	297
From 75 to 84	239
85 and over	104
Less than 65	69

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	47
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	29
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	58
Dementia	13
Cancer	8

doctor visit	52
eye procedures	987
injections	32

**Gender**
Male	120
Female	260

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	39
Black	0
Hispanic	256
Asian	52
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	154
From 75 to 84	146
85 and over	54
Less than 65	26

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	50
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	31
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	64
Dementia	12
Cancer	8

capsulotomy	12
diagnostic imaging	12
doctor visit	234
eye procedures	2258
laser treatment	12
ultrasound (sonogram)	10

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD treated as an ophthalmologist in Chula Vista, CA were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), injections and capsulotomy.

capsulotomy	13
diagnostic imaging	12
doctor visit	144
eye procedures	1753
injections	33
laser treatment	13
ultrasound (sonogram)	92

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD.

**Gender**
Female	360
Male	190

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	9
Asian / Pacific Islander	62
Non-Hispanic White	58
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	398
Other	13

**Age**
85 and over	82
75 to 84	206
Less than 65	51
65 to 74	210

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	34
Asthma	7
Osteoporosis	9
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	49
Atrial Fibrillation	6
Dementia	11
Cancer	5

Education & Training

Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD graduated from National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine in 1981. He completed residency at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ophthalmology. He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and has a state license in California.

Medical School: National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine (1981)

Residency: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ophthalmology (1985)

Board Certification: American Board of Ophthalmology (1991)

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center

Paradise Valley Hospital

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista

Sharp HealthCare

Scripps Health

CASTILLEJOS EYE INSTITUTE MEDICAL GROUP

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego

Scripps Mercy Surgery Pavilion

Ratings & Reviews

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. David Castillejos-Rios, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation	$177 Travatan Z $133	XIIDRA $43
Allergan, Inc.	$167 LUMIGAN $133	VUITY $34
Allergan Inc.	$164 RESTASIS $56	LUMIGAN $42	OZURDEX $31	$34
Horizon Therapeutics plc	$135 TEPEZZA $135
Shire North American Group Inc	$123 XIIDRA $110	$13
Other	$1,021 VYZULTA $113	Impella $110	Tecnis Multifocal family of 1-piece IOLs $103	IOLMaster 700 $85	LUMIGAN $74	Other $536

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$1,653
Education	$133

Biography

Dr. David Castillejos sees patients in Chula Vista, CA. His medical specialty is ophthalmology (eye disease). Clinical interests for Dr. Castillejos include macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, and LASIK. He attended medical school at National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Castillejos's medical residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with the University of Montreal. Dr. Castillejos (or staff) speaks the following foreign languages: Spanish, French, and Portuguese. He is affiliated with Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Paradise Valley Hospital, and Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista. Dr. Castillejos has an open panel in Chula Vista, CA according to Sharp HealthCare.