Leejee Han Suh, MD

Specialties:
Cataract Surgery, Cornea & External Disorders, Ophthalmology

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Overview

leejee_h._suh_md_-_columbiadoctors_ophthalmologist

Leejee H. Suh, M.D., the Miranda Wong Tang Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, is the Director of the Cornea Service at Columbia University's Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute. She also heads the Cornea Fellowship Program and the Laser Vision Center. Her surgical specialties include femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, phacoemulsification cataract surgery, LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis), PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy), PTK (Phototherapeutic Keratectomy), and full and partialcorneal transplantation.
She received her undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and her medical degree from the New York University (N.Y.U.) School of Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center and received her fellowship training at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Hospitals, where she was a faculty member in the Division of Cornea and Refractive Surgery.
Dr. Suh brings to Columbia her experience from the top ophthalmological institutions in the country, with an extensive background in cataract, corneal, and refractive surgery. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on corneal conditions and is active in clinical research. Her clinical research interests are in keratoconus research and treatments, namely Corneal Collagen Crosslinking. She has been the Principal Investigator for the Corneal Collagen Crosslinking trial for the treatment of keratoconus and post-refractive surgery ectasia at Columbia University. For her work in keratoconus, Dr. Suh has been named a Top Doctor for the National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF). She was instrumental in the early studies of a newer type of partial corneal transplantation, called endothelial keratoplasty, which includes Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), both of which have dramatically changed the face of surgical treatments for corneal diseases.
As a cornea-refractive surgeon by training, she is an expert in the latest in cataract surgery called femtosecond-laser assisted cataract surgery, in which a femtosecond laser can make precise and customized corneal and lens incisions for cataract surgery, which is combined with implantation of standard monofocal, toric, and multifocal/trifocal intraocular lens implants. With her extensive experience in corneal surgery, she is also an expert in laser vision correction and keratorefractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, and PTK).
Dr. Suh has been certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She has presented at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Asian-Pacific Association for Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS), and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). She is an active reviewer for such journals as Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology, Archives of Ophthalmology, Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, Eye, and Cornea. Dr. Suh continues to lecture nationally and internationally on her research and experience.

Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated

Anterior Segment Surgery
Cataract
Cornea and External Eye Disease
Corneal Disorders
Cornea Transplant
Laser Refractive Surgery
Laser Surgery
Laser Vision Correction Surgery
LASIK Surgery
Pterygium
Refractive Eye Surgery

Academic Appointments

Miranda Wong Tang Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at CUMC

Administrative Titles

Director, Refractive Surgery Service
Director, Cornea Fellowship Program
Director, Cornea Service

Hospital Affiliations

NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center

Languages

Korean

Gender

Female

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Phone Appointments

New and Existing Patients: (212) 305-9535

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Location(s)

CUIMC/Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute
635 West 165th Street

New York, NY 10032

Primary

Phone: (212) 305-9535


Fax: (212) 342-5293



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ColumbiaDoctors - Third Avenue
880 Third Avenue
3/F, Floor 3, Suite F
New York, NY 10022



Phone: (212) 305-9535


Fax: (212) 305-0212



Open location in Google Maps

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Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

MD, New York University School of Medicine
Internship: 2003 Long Island Jewish Medical Center
Residency: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Board Certifications

Ophthalmology

Honors & Awards

2021: National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF) Top Doc
2019: Member of the Academy of Clinical Excellence, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
2012 – Present: Castle Connolly’s Top Doctor
2006: Fellow, Society of Heed Fellows, Heed Ophthalmic Foundation
2005: Walter J. Stark Research Grant Award, Wilmer Eye Institute. Project Title: Genetic Modification of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells and Establishment of in vitro Model of Fuchs’ Endothelial Dystrophy
2005: Eye Bank Association of America Research Grant Award. Project Title: Use of Cell Culture Media and Human Amniotic Fluid for Proliferation of Endothelium on Eyebank Corneas
2005: Mitchell Prize for Resident Research, Wilmer Eye Institute. Project Title: Establishment and Characterization of Human Corneal Endothelial Cell Culture. Awarded first place prize of $10,000.
2005: Peter J. McDonnell Research Grant Award, Wilmer Eye Institute. Project Title: Establishment and Characterization of Human Corneal Endothelial Cell Culture
2002: Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
2002: Honors in Neuroscience and Physiology with Doctor of Medicine
2002: American Medical Women’s Association Achievement Award
1997: Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
1997: Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society
1992: NIH High School Research Apprenticeship Program Award, Stuyvesant High School


America's Top Doctor


NY Top Doctor

Research

Selected Publications

Publications:
Amescua G, Stanciu N, Albini TA, Miller D, Forster RK, Suh LH. Management and outcome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratoscleritis and scleritis (in preparation).
Amescua G, Miller D, Suh LH, Forster RK. Outbreak of Paecilomyces keratitis in South Florida (submitted to Cornea).
Abbey AM, Shah NV, Forster RK, Suh LH. Bipolaris Infectious Scleritis (submitted to BJO).
Pouyeh B, Feuer W, Yoo SH, Shi W, Suh LH. Refractive Stability after DSAEK. Ophthalmology 2012;119(10):2190.
Suh LH, Abou Shousha M, Ventura RU, Kieval JZ, Perez VL, Wang J, Dubovy SR, Rosenfeld SI, Culbertson WW, Alfonso EC, Forster RK. Epithelial ingrowth after Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty: Description of cases and assessment with anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Cornea 2011;30(5):528-34.
Chang V, Karp CL, Yoo SH, Ide T, Budenz DL, Kovach JL, Suh LH. Mycobacterium abscessus endophthalmitis after Descemet's stripping with automated endothelial keratoplasty. Cornea 2010;29(5):586-9.
Suh LH, Barron J, Dubovy SR, Fell J, Ledee DR, Miller D, Forster RK. Ocular Rhinosporidiosis as a cause of chronic follicular conjunctivitis. Arch Ophthalmol 2009;127(8):1076-7.
Suh LH, Dawson DG, Mutapcic L, Rosenfeld SI, Culbertson WW, Yoo SH, O'Brien TP, Dubovy SR. Histopathologic examination of failed grafts in Descemet's Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK). Ophthalmology 2009;116(4):603-8.
Suh LH, Yoo SH, Deobhakta A, Donaldson KE, Alfonso, EC, Culbertson WW, & O'Brien TP. Complications of Descemet's Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK): Survey of 118 Eyes at One Institute. Ophthalmology 2008;115(9):1517-24.
Suh LH, Kymionis GD, Culbertson WW, O'Brien TP, Yoo SH. Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) in aphakic eyes. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(2):268-70
Kymionis GD, Portaliou DM, Bouzoukis DI, Suh LH, Pallikaris AI, Markomanolakis M, Yoo SH. Herpetic keratitis with iritis after corneal crosslinking with riboflavin and ultraviolet A for keratoconus. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2007;33(11):1982-84.
Kymionis GD, Suh LH, O'Brien TP, Dubovy SR, Yoo SH. Diagnosis of residual Descemet's membrane after Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) with anterior segment optical coherence tomography. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2007;33(7):1322-4.
Suh LH, Zhang C, Chuck RS, Stark WJ, Naylor S, Binley K, Chakravarti S, Jun AS. Cryopreservation and lentiviral-mediated genetic modification of human primary cultured corneal endothelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48(7):3056-61.
Suh LH, Sweeney, DA, Jun AS. A 33 year old man with a white pupil. Clin Infect Dis 2006;43:1043-1044, 1081-1082.
Segal NH, Blachere NE, Shiu HY, Suh LH, Antonescu CR, Lewis JJ, Wolchok JD, Houghton AN. Antigens recognized by autologous antibodies of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Cancer Immun 2005;5(4):1-7.
Suh LH, Oster SF, Soehrman SS, Grenningloh G, & Sretavan DW. L1/Laminin modulation of growth cone response to EphB triggers growth pauses and regulates the microtubule destabilizing protein SCG10. J Neuroscience 2004;24(8):1976-86.
Book Chapters:
Suh LH, Dave SB, Culbertson WW. "Medical Evaluation, Management, and Planning Anterior Lamellar Surgery for Corneal and Anterior Segment Conditions" chapter in Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography. Slack, 2007.
Suh LH, Culbertson WW. "Use of Anterior Chamber Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK) and Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK)" chapter in Posterior Lamellar Keratoplasty. Jaypee Bros, 2007.
Suh LH, Emerson MV, Jun AS. "Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy" chapter in Essentials in Ophthalmology-Cornea and External Disease, Springer, 2007.
Suh LH, Behrens A, McDonnell PJ. "Surface Ablation: Techniques and Postoperative Management" chapter in Brightbill's Corneal Surgery: Theory, Technique, and Tissue, Fourth Edition. Elsevier, 2006.
Suh LH & Akpek EK. "Corneal Gluing" chapter in AAO Basic Skills in Ophthalmic Surgery Manual.
Suh LH & Chuck RS. "Limbal Stem Cell Transplantation" chapter in AAO Basic Techniques and Ophthalmic Surgery Manual.
Chuck RS, Suh LH, Suwan-apichon O, Reyes JM. "Limbal Stem Cell Transplantation" chapter in Dry Eye: A Practical Guide to Ocular Surface Disorders and Stem Cell Surgery. Slack, 2006.
Suh LH, Akpek EK, Stark WJ, John T. "Tectonic Lamellar Keratoplasty for Mooren's and Mooren's like Corneal Ulcers" chapter in Surgical Techniques in Anterior and Posterior Lamellar Corneal Surgery. Jaypee Bros., 2006.