Dr. Jeffery Machat, M.D.

Dr. Jeffery Machat is one of the original LASIK pioneers, having performed the first laser vision correction procedure on February 4, 1991, in Toronto, Canada. Over three and a half decades, he has completed more than 110,000 laser vision correction procedures, including treatment for over 680 ophthalmologists and optometrists, and has served as a Health Canada and FDA investigator with hands-on experience across 21 excimer lasers from 9 manufacturers and 16 femtosecond lasers from 6 manufacturers. He is the author of two LASIK textbooks and has trained over 3,000 surgeons in 24 countries in LASIK technique and complication management.

Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Machat is the original founder and visionary behind TLC Laser Eye Centers, founded in 1993, which he built and grew through acquisition to 83 clinics before its 1996 IPO on the TSX and Nasdaq. He later served as Chief Medical Officer and Consultant to Optical Express, leading the buildout of 55 clinics in 2005–2006, and has since held Executive Medical Director roles across multiple companies, providing clinical oversight for hundreds of surgeons and optometrists, developing clinical and marketing strategy, and advising on operational systems and risk management.