Dr. James Kelly, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert in refractive cataract surgery with over 30 years of experience and more than 100,000 successful vision correction procedures. He began his residency at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital in 1994—just one year after the world’s first laser cataract surgery was performed there—and became one of the first surgeons in the United States trained in laser cataract surgery.
Today, Dr. Kelly serves as the Director of Refractive Surgery Education for Northwell Health and the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, and leads Kelly Vision, a state-of-the-art ophthalmology practice he founded in 1998, with offices in Manhattan and Long Island. With over 2,000 five-star reviews, Dr. Kelly is the highest-rated premium cataract surgeon in New York City—and the only eye surgeon in NYC certified in every FDA-approved vision correction procedure. He specializes in complex, high-risk cataract cases using premium intraocular lenses (IOLs).
Dr. Kelly earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medicine. Before medical school, he worked as a research assistant at NYU. Following medical school, he completed an internship in Internal Medicine at SUNY-Winthrop University Hospital (now NYU Langone), then went on to complete a three-year ophthalmology residency at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital (MEETH)—the first hospital in the United States to be accredited as a Center of Excellence in Ophthalmology. Dr. Kelly is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, having scored in the top 2% nationally on the written board examination.
After residency, he became the founder and Medical Director of Infinity Laser Center—the first LASIK-only center in New York City—during which time he also served as a lecturer at Columbia University and conducted clinical research. His work on Delayed Onset Multifocal Polymicrobial Keratitis Following LASIK was published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, contributing to the broader understanding of post-LASIK corneal infections. He later spent five years as an attending surgeon at the world-renowned Mount Sinai New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Dr. Kelly is widely recognized throughout the ophthalmic community for his high patient satisfaction and deeply personalized approach to care—taking time to answer every question, explain all available options, and ensure each patient feels fully informed and comfortable with their treatment plan. Being certified and experienced in every FDA-approved vision correction procedure allows him to truly customize care, especially for patients with complex visual needs or those seeking advanced lens technologies.
Dr. Kelly has won numerous awards for his expertise in ophthalmology, including being named a Top Doctor in NYC and Long Island by Castle Connolly every year since 2015. Dr. Kelly is also frequently selected by leading ophthalmic companies to launch their most advanced technologies, including being the first in NYC to offer the popular TECNIS Odyssey IOL, the first in NYC to utilize Johnson and Johnson’s Veritas Vision phacoemulsification system for cataract removal, and the first in NYC to perform EVO ICL surgery.
