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Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS

(6 Ratings)

Specializes in: Eye Disease Ophthalmology (Corneal and External Diseases)

University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine (1978)

Professional interests include: complex cataract surgery, LASIK

1932 Alcoa Highway Building C Suite 255
Knoxville, TN 37920

(865) 244-2020

Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS is a cornea specialist in Knoxville, TN specializing in eye disease ophthalmology (corneal and external diseases). He graduated from University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in 1978 and has 47 years of experience. Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS is affiliated with University Physicians' Association, Inc., The University of Tennessee Medical Center and UNIVERSITY EYE SPECIALISTS, P.C..

Office Locations

Address:

1932 Alcoa Highway Building C Suite 255
Knoxville, TN 37920

Address:

500 Mcfarland Street
Morristown, TN 37814

Some issues Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS 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	32
doctor visit	617
excision	48
eye procedures	3087
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	21
laser treatment	31
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	49
transplant procedures	77
ultrasound (sonogram)	80

**Gender**
Male	593
Female	981

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1509
Black	32
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	638
From 75 to 84	566
85 and over	254
Less than 65	116

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	17
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	26
Dementia	9
Cancer	9

capsulotomy	29
debridement (removal of unhealthy tissue)	15
doctor visit	558
excision	54
eye procedures	3066
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	34
laser treatment	28
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	55
transplant procedures	85
ultrasound (sonogram)	47
wound repair (e.g. stitches)	10

**Gender**
Male	601
Female	939

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1487
Black	26
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	16
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	645
From 75 to 84	550
85 and over	238
Less than 65	107

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	26
Dementia	9
Cancer	8

capsulotomy	16
doctor visit	526
excision	23
eye procedures	2881
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	27
laser treatment	30
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	9
transplant procedures	91
ultrasound (sonogram)	43

**Gender**
Male	1136
Female	1676

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	2692
Black	58
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	30
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	1154
From 75 to 84	1050
85 and over	426
Less than 65	182

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	14
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	25
Dementia	8
Cancer	10

capsulotomy	22
doctor visit	435
excision	41
eye procedures	3084
laser treatment	21
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	42
transplant procedures	87

**Gender**
Male	570
Female	888

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1391
Black	33
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	18
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	609
From 75 to 84	520
85 and over	237
Less than 65	92

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	26
Dementia	7
Cancer	9

capsulotomy	53
doctor visit	23
excision	11
eye procedures	3326
hospital care	12
inpatient care	12
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	14
laser treatment	52
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	12
transplant procedures	59

**Gender**
Male	533
Female	831

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1297
Black	31
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	21
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	557
From 75 to 84	487
85 and over	225
Less than 65	95

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	26
Dementia	7
Cancer	8

capsulotomy	46
excision	12
eye procedures	3395
hospital care	11
inpatient care	11
laser treatment	45
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	13
transplant procedures	83
wound repair (e.g. stitches)	13

**Gender**
Male	521
Female	836

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1285
Black	26
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	32
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	594
From 75 to 84	498
85 and over	192
Less than 65	73

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	25
Dementia	7
Cancer	10

capsulotomy	43
excision	10
eye procedures	3435
laser treatment	42
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	11
transplant procedures	54
ultrasound (sonogram)	11
wound repair (e.g. stitches)	13

**Gender**
Male	546
Female	867

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1331
Black	28
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	38
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	600
From 75 to 84	553
85 and over	181
Less than 65	79

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	26
Dementia	6
Cancer	9

capsulotomy	43
excision	14
eye procedures	3217
hospital care	12
inpatient care	12
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	19
laser treatment	42
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	15
transplant procedures	35
ultrasound (sonogram)	19

**Gender**
Male	522
Female	805

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1257
Black	21
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	37
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	574
From 75 to 84	515
85 and over	170
Less than 65	68

Hypertension	62
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	24
Dementia	7
Cancer	10

capsulotomy	67
excision	10
eye procedures	6384
hospital care	16
inpatient care	16
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	21
laser treatment	66
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	11
transplant procedures	119
ultrasound (sonogram)	25
wound repair (e.g. stitches)	34

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS treated as a cornea specialist in Knoxville, TN were eye procedures, transplant procedures, laser treatment and capsulotomy.

capsulotomy	39
debridement (removal of unhealthy tissue)	15
doctor visit	432
excision	26
eye procedures	3548
hospital care	12
inpatient care	12
lacrimal (tearing system) procedures	22
laser treatment	40
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	24
transplant procedures	76
ultrasound (sonogram)	38
wound repair (e.g. stitches)	17

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS.

**Gender**
Female	782
Male	502

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	25
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	1224
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	20

**Age**
85 and over	192
75 to 84	473
Less than 65	81
65 to 74	537

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and diabetes.

Hypertension	51
High Cholesterol	43
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	6
Osteoporosis	7
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	20
Atrial Fibrillation	8
Cancer	7
Dementia	6

Education & Training

Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS graduated from University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in 1978. He completed residency at National Naval Medical Center. He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and has a state license in Tennessee.

Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine (1978)

Residency: National Naval Medical Center

Board Certification: American Board of Ophthalmology

Licensed In: Tennessee

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

University Physicians' Association, Inc.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center

UNIVERSITY EYE SPECIALISTS, P.C.

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS has a high overall rating with an average of 3.83 out of 5 stars based on 6 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS from all over the web to help you find the right in Knoxville, TN.

3.83

Overall Rating

(6 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Alcon Vision LLC	$689 CLAREON $213	ARGOS $186	iLux $20	PANOPTIX $19	Simbrinza $15	Other $237
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.	$516 Tecnis IOL $240	Catalys Laser System $128	Tecnis 1-piece IOL $120	CATALYS SYSTEM $16	$11
Alcon Laboratories Inc	$430 Ilevro $121	ORA $70	Simbrinza $56	Durezol $46	Cataract Equipment $12	Other $124
Shire North American Group Inc	$417 XIIDRA $252	$165
Abbott Laboratories	$347 Optics $328	Healon Viscoelastics $20
Other	$1,547 ACTHAR $178	Rhopressa $112	Humira $96	RESTASIS $89	LOTEMAX GEL $83	Other $990

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$3,759
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$150
Education	$38

Biography

Dr. David Harris is an eye disease ophthalmology (corneal and external diseases) specialist in Knoxville, TN and Morristown, TN. In his practice, Dr. Harris focuses on complex cataract surgery, LASIK, and eye problems. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. He completed his residency training at National Naval Medical Center. His professional affiliations include the University Physicians' Association, Inc. and The University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Select Year:

Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS

Office Locations

Some issues Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS can help you with:

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2013

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2014

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2015

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2016

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2017

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2018

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2019

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS in 2020

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. David Joseph Harris Jr., MD, FACS From 2013 - 2021

Education & Training

Affiliations & Hospitals

Ratings & Reviews

General Payments

Biography

Other Providers in Knoxville, TN