Clement K. Chan, MD, FACS
36949 Cook Street
Suite 101
Palm Desert, CA 92211
United States map
(760) 340-2394 office
(760) 327-6225 office
(951) 686-1910 office
http://www.desertretina.com/
http://www.desertretina.com/
http://www.desertretina.com/
Professional Affiliations
Academic Appointments- Clinical Professor, department of Ophthalmology, Loma Linda University, CA. 2016 onward.
- Associate Clinical Professor, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. 1994-2016.
- Assistant Professor(986-89), Assistant Clinical Professor (1989–94),
- Active, Desert Regional MC, Palm Springs, CA
- Consultant, Eisenhower MC, Rancho Mirage, CA; Riverside Community, Riverside, CA.
Biography
Clement Kar-man Chan, M.D., F.A.C.S. was born in Hong Kong and at the age of 12 immigrated to San Francisco. After completing a B.S. degree in biochemistry at Pacific Union College (Magna Cum Laude), he graduated from Loma Linda University (LLU), School of Medicine (AOA) in 1980. Following an internship at the White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, he completed his ophthalmology residency at LLU. A medical and surgical vitreoretinal fellowship at Washington University with the Retina Consultants, Ltd. at Barnes Hospital in St Louis, was followed by 3 months of post-fellowship elective with Dr. Steve Charles in Memphis (1984-1986).
He returned as the director of vitreoretinal service in the eye department at LLU (1986-1989). In 1989 he entered private practice as the founder and medical director of Southern California Desert Retina Consultants in Palm Springs, California. He rose to the rank of Associate Clinical Professor in 1994, and Clinical Professor-Clinician Scientist in 2016 at his alma mater. His early research interest involved pneumatic retinopexy for retinal detachments and pneumatic vitreolysis for impending and early macular holes. The topic of his enduring interest has been managing dislocated PCIOL, collaboration with multiple investigators on retinal pigment epithelial tears and treatment of vascularized pigment epithelial detachments, as well as the PREVENT Study (prophylactic anti-VEGF treatment for high-risk fellow eyes in patients with nAMD in one eye).
Dr. Chan served as the vice chair of the Institutional Review Board (1993-1995) and chief of Ophthalmology (1995-2004) at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He was honored with the achievement award (2004) and the senior achievement award (2007) by the ASRS, and the Achievement Award (2006) and Senior Achievement Award in 2018 by the AAO. He was also an Honored Alumnus of LLU, his alma mater in 2018. He is an active member of the Retina Society (2004), the Macula Society and Club Jules Gonin (2012), and American Ophthalmological Society (2014). His original descriptions of delayed absorption of loculated subretinal fluid after pneumatic retinopexy (1989) and pneumatic vitreolysis (PVL) for selected impending and small macular holes (1995) were published in Ophthalmology. Dr. Chan’s original contributions in ophthalmology include the technique of temporary haptic externalization for managing dislocated PCIOL in 1992 and PVL in 1995. Besides teaching eye residents, he has also served as a visiting professor in skill transfer for eye providers overseas.
His extracurricular interests include travel, WWII history, and foreign films. He is married to Aileen Arakaki Chan, D.D.S. and has three children, Kimberly (comprehensive ophthalmologist), Christian (general surgeon) and Kathryn (college student).