Dr Roger T Welch
MBChB, FRANZCO, FRACS
Vision Centre founder and current CEO Dr Roger Welch established his Gold Coast ophthalmology practice in 1989 and is recognised for his expertise in cataract, excimer laser refractive surgery, retina-vitreous and general ophthalmology, including glaucoma.
Dr Welch completed his post graduate studies in Ophthalmology and sub-speciality Retina-Vitreous at the world renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami's School of Medicine in Florida, USA, before devoting a year to consulting and lecturing in Ophthalmology at the University of Auckland's School of Medicine.
His interest in refractive surgery saw him gain his C-LASIK diploma in 1996. Dr Welch was a pioneer of Phacoemulsification-IOL and Vitreo-Retinal surgery on the Gold Coast. He was the first local surgeon to use Botox treatment to relieve facial spasms.
Dr Welch is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Surgeons and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, the Australian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, European Cataract Refractive Surgeons and the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society and an associate member of the Oceania Retina Association.
He has served as a Visiting Consultant at Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane, and at the Gold Coast Hospital where he has been President of the Visiting Medical Officers Association. Dr Welch has also been a Founding Director of the Gold Coast's Pindara Day Procedure Centre and a member of the Pindara Hospital Medical Board of Advice.
Since 1996, when he founded the Moree Eye Service, Dr Welch has provided a regular service to the Moree area, operating on a surgical bus, and now provides eye surgery through the Moree Base Hospital. Since 2007 he has been a consultant to the Pius X Aboriginal Health Care Corporation at Moree.
Dr Welch is an active presenter at Society and College meetings. He is active in registrar and medical student teaching for local Universities.