Andrew A. Kao, MD

10/25/2025

09/27/2025

What a surgery week! On Monday, I did cataract surgery on my mom's second eye and placed an Odyssey toric IOL. She is now 20/15 and J1 OU after being a high myope her whole life! I was also humbled and privileged to do EVO ICL on two optometrist colleagues of mine, and they were both 20/15 later the same day, after being -6.00 and -12.00 SE myopes! Amazing technology from both companies! Glad to be able to perform life-changing surgery for all three last week (in addition to all my other patients!) ( )

04/19/2022

Very honored and humbled to be recognized as a 2022 ASCRS Foundation Operation Sight Volunteer of the Year! Thanks to the ASCRS Foundation's support, one of my patients received free sight-restoring cataract surgery through our non-profit eye clinic, Advanced Center for Eyecare. Her story is featured on their main page: https://ascrs.org/foundation/operation-sight. Check out the work that ASCRS and ACE do for our community and others like it around the country!

Operation Sight, the ASCRS Foundation’s U.S. based charitable cataract surgery program, was launched in 2014 to serve financially vulnerable, uninsured Americans who cannot afford or access care. These members of our own communities often rely on others to complete daily tasks, and if left untreat...

09/10/2020

I got to share some tips yesterday on reducing while distance learning (or )! Unfortunately, they didn't have enough time to include my other talking points. Other tips include keeping the screen at least arms' length away (something none of the kids in the video were doing, including the screenshot!), with (screen should be at or slightly below eye level, to avoid forward head posture); avoid glare by keeping screen brightness as low as possible and putting a light source behind the child, as opposed to behind the screen; and making sure children continue to get outdoor time to get that exposure to violet light (admittedly tough when temps are >100F and the air quality is terrible!)!

Also, can you believe I'm the only ophthalmologist in a county of 1 million who regularly sees kids?!



Advanced Center for Eyecare Empire Eye and Laser Center

As Kern County returns to school online, the new format is also coming with new challenges for some students. One local mom says her first grader began experiencing adverse side effects soon after returning to the virtual classroom. "I noticed that the long hours on a computer screen was getting him...

07/22/2020

04/28/2020

Two other physicians in town recently presented financially-motivated and mis-interpreted data from their privately-owned urgent care on both local and national TV. Here is the response from two national societies of emergency medicine. Please continue to social distance, wear masks in public, and take precautions!

04/07/2020

Finally entered the 1 gallon club at today! People still need blood transfusions during this pandemic; make sure you continue to donate if you're eligible!

03/16/2020

02/10/2020

We're hosting a blood drive today! The bus from is here! Come out before 4 and donate if you can!

@ Empire Eye and Laser Center

01/25/2020

Happy Chinese New Year! 恭喜發財！Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous year of the 🐀!

01/22/2020

I wrote this article! Read it even if you don’t have to study for oral boards! 😂 Also, not sure who the guy is in the photo, but it’s definitely not me!

Congratulations! You’ve passed the Written Qualifying Examination (WQE) with the American Board of Ophthalmology. The euphoria of learning you...