Dr. Andrew K. Salem, M.D.

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Get to know Ophthalmologist Dr. Andrew K. Salem, who serves patients in Texas.

Being a board-certified and fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, Dr. Salem specializes in refractive cataract surgery and laser vision correction at Diagnostic Eye Center in Houston, Texas. He has extensive training and experience in refractive surgery and has performed thousands of vision correction surgeries. Having undergone refractive surgery himself, he is passionate about improving quality of life through vision correction.

Diagnostic Eye Center has been providing state-of-the-art eye care since 1998 and is honored to be recognized as one of the leading ophthalmology practices in Houston. It offers a complete range of eye care services, including LASIK eye surgery and other laser vision correction procedures, laser cataract surgery, dry eye treatment, keratoconus treatment, comprehensive eye exams, corneal transplants, glaucoma management, contact lens fittings, and complete optical shop (including glasses, frames, and lenses). 

Alongside his clinical role, Dr. Salem serves as an Adjunct Faculty at the University of Houston College of Medicine and College of Optometry, where he enjoys training the next generation of doctors. 

In order to advance his professional efforts, he remains a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, the Refractive Surgery Alliance Society, the American Refractive Surgery Council, the Houston Ophthalmological Society, the Texas Medical Association, and the Texas Ophthalmological Association.

Born and raised in San Diego, Dr. Salem graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology. He then went on to earn his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at Tulane University in New Orleans, and afterward returned to Southern California for a fellowship in cornea, external ocular diseases, and refractive surgery at the world-renowned Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. During his fellowship, he was selected for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery foreign exchange program, where he spent a week in Verona, Italy training with Italian surgeons on the most advanced anterior segment surgical techniques.

Throughout his medical training, Dr. Salem participated in several clinical trials and published over a dozen articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Cornea, and Archives of Ophthalmology. He has presented at national conferences and received numerous awards for his research presentations, including an award for the best paper session at the ASCRS annual meeting. 

The doctor is board-certified in ophthalmology by the American Board of Ophthalmology, whose mission is to serve the public by improving the quality of ophthalmic practice through a process of certification and Maintenance of Certification that fosters excellence and encourages continual learning.

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery, which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. Ophthalmologists are experts in the diseases, functions, and anatomy of the eye. They may provide routine care such as vision testing, as well as prescribe and fit eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, ophthalmologists are also surgeons. They repair traumatic injuries to the eye and perform cataract, glaucoma, and corneal surgery. 

With a passion for his profession, Dr. Salem has lent his expertise to underdeveloped countries by volunteering his surgical services and training local eye surgeons. He visited Cordoba, Mexico in 2015 for a surgical mission trip, where he joined a team of four surgeons to perform over 150 cataract surgeries on indigent patients.

Outside of the office, his favorite hobby is spending time with his wife, Margaret, and son, Sawyer. He enjoys traveling, fitness, and rooting for his favorite sports teams.

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