About Our Doctors
Dr.
Barry Tannen introduced the Gentle Vision Shaping System (GVSS) into
our practice in 1993. Many of our patients that started wearing their GVSS retainer
lenses in the early 1990’s continue to do so today. He was one of the
first doctors in the United States to use Orthokeratology, the generic term
for GVSS, to improve children’s vision non-surgically. Dr. Tannen has
also lectured to other optometric physicians in the area of Orthokeratology.
He fit Dr. Despotidis’ children in 1998. He is specifically trained and
certified to use FDA approved Paragon CRT lenses with the Gentle Vision Shaping
System (GVSS).
Dr. Tannen graduated with honors from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry
where he won the prestigious COVD/Brock Award for clinical excellence in vision
therapy. He served as an officer in the United States Public Health Service
for three years before founding EyeCare Professionals, P.C. with Dr. Despotidis.
Dr. Tannen is an Associate Clinical Professor of Optometry at the SUNY/State
College of Optometry in New York, where he is the Director of the Eye Movement
and Biofeedback Clinic. He has co-authored a clinical textbook used by other
eye doctors as well as having published numerous papers in professional journals.
He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and is Board Certified in
vision therapy as a Fellow in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
Dr. Nicholas Despotidis is a leading expert in the field of
Orthokeratology, the generic term for the Gentle Vision Shaping System (GVSS).
He has devoted his practice to this area of expertise since his children, Nicholas
and Gregory, have worn the retainer lenses since the age of 10 and 7. He has
had the privilege of fitting hundreds of patients with Gentle Vision Shaping
Retainers and seeing them grow from children to young adults.
Dr. Despotidis has lectured to hundreds of parents throughout the state of
New Jersey, describing the benefits of the GVSS technique. He was also featured
by Paragon Vision Sciences, the maker of the FDA approved lenses used in the
GVSS technique, in their “Meet the Experts” seminar describing the technique to
eye physicians throughout the United States.
Dr. Despotidis (Dr. D) graduated with honors from The State College of Optometry
in New York. He later completed a residency in vision therapy and pediatric
vision. Among his many honors was the distinguished Barnes-Hind Award for excellence
in contact lens fitting. He has published many papers in optometric journals,
as well as being a frequent lecturer. He is the co-founder of EyeCare Professionals,
P.C., a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and is Board
Certified in vision therapy as a Fellow in the College of Optometrists in Vision
Development.
Dr.
Ivan Lee has extensive experience fitting patients with Orthokeratology
lenses and wears the GVSS lenses himself, since 2001.
Since that time he has
fit hundreds of patients with GVSS retainer lenses. More recently, he has joined
Dr. Despotidis and Tannen by lecturing to interested parents and patients on
the benefit of this technique.
Dr. Lee, a native of Edision, New Jersey, completed his undergraduate studies
at Rutgers University and obtained his Doctorate of Optometry at Nova Southeastern
University College of Optometry in 1997. He underwent an internship at the prestigious
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida and did his residency in Ocular
Disease at the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Administration Medical Center in 1998.
Dr. Lee is specifically trained and certified to use FDA approved Paragon CRT
lenses, with the Gentle Vision Shaping System (GVSS).
