J Richard Townley, MD

• After being recognized as one of the top 3 resident cataract surgeons in the American College of Eye Surgeons Bloomberg Cataract National Video Competition, Dr Townley served as the head of cataract surgery training program at Air Force's top training program. He then served as the Associate program director of the ophthalmology residency program, Director of the Lackland Joint Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center, and was the Refractive Surgery Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for six years. During that time he oversaw all Air Force laser centers and around 10,000 refractive surgeries per year. 

• Over 24 years in the Air Force he trained numerous residents and staff throughout the US, Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East, and served as one of the few DoD subject matter experts in refractive surgery, ocular trauma, complex anterior segment repair, and manual small incision cataract surgery.   He has served as the president of the Society of Military Ophthalmologists and was recognized in 2024 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for the many years of distinguished service.

• He is a certified physician trainer for multiple refractive surgery platforms and has trained over 100 refractive surgeons. He has numerous publications and has been an investigator on multiple FDA clinical trials for new technology. He knows the benefits of customizing treatments to the eyes of patients with high visual demands and has treated numerous pilots, marksman, members of the special forces, fellow physicians, and surgeons. He appreciates the life-altering impact of vision restoring surgery and has led multiple annual humanitarian missions to countries all over the world.

• Brief report: Refractive surgery trends at tri-service refractive surgery centers and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2000–2020.
• Brandon Sellers, BS; J. Richard Townley, MD; Corby Ropp, DO; Gary Legault, MD
• MSMR March 2022, Vol. 29 (3):16-18 
• Dexamethasone-Eluting Contact Lens for the Prevention of Postphotorefractive Keratectomy Scar in a New Zealand White Rabbit Model.
• Soeken TA, Ross AE, Kohane DS, Kuang L, Legault GL, Caldwell MC, Brundridge WL, Merkley MB, Ciolino JB, Townley JR. 
•  Cornea. 2021 Sep 1;40(9):1175-1180. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000002711. PMID: 34294635.
• Pain Control Following Photorefractive Keratectomy: A Prospective Clinical Trial Comparing Codeine Versus Oxycodone for the Management of Postoperative Pain
• Cherilyn Mae A. Palochak, MD, Donovan S. Reed, MD, Douglas A. Apsey, OD, Gary L. Legault, MD, Darrel Carlton, MD, Matthew C. Caldwell, MD, James R. Townley, MD, Michael H. Madsen, DO, and Charisma B. Evangelista, MD
• J Refract Surg. 2021;37(9):582–589
• Retrospective analysis of the post-operative changes in higher order aberrations: A comparison of the WaveLight® EX500 to the VISX® S4 laser in refractive surgery. 
• Donovan Reed, Douglas Apassey, Allan Steigleman, James Townley, Matthew Caldwell
• Military Medicine: Ref: Ms. No. MILMED-D-17-00159R2
• Dose Uniformity of Topical Corticosteroids: A Simulated Trial of Fluorometholone Acetate 0.1% and Loteprednol Etabonate Gel 0.5.
• Stevens CE, Bennion JL, Caldwell MC, Townley JR, Apsey DA, Schwertner HA.
• J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Mar;33(2):111-114. doi: 10.1089/jop.2016.0151. Epub 2017 Jan 31. 
• PMID:28140772
• Comparison of pachymetry measurements between the Alcon Wavelight EX500 and Sonogage Corneo-Gage plus platforms.
• Soeken TA, Apsey DA, Townley JR, Haas RW, Caldwell MC.
• J Refract Surg. 2015 May;31(5):328-32. doi: 10.3928/1081597X-20150423-06.
• PMID:25974972
• The Effect of Silicone Hydrogel Bandage Soft Contact Lens Base Curvature on Comfort and Outcomes After Photorefractive Keratectomy.
• Taylor KR, Molchan RP, Townley JR, Caldwell MC, Panday VA.
• Eye Contact Lens. 2015 Mar;41(2):77-83
• PMID:25230081
• Comparison of 3 silicone hydrogel bandage soft contact lenses for pain control after photorefractive keratectomy.
• Taylor KR, Caldwell MC, Payne AM, Apsey DA, Townley JR, Reilly CD, Panday VA.
• J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014 Sep 9.
• PMID:25217073
• Keratoconjunctivitis sicca manifestations in ocular graft versus host disease: pathogenesis, presentation, prevention, and treatment.
• Townley JR, Dana R, Jacobs DS.
• Semin Ophthalmol. 2011 Jul-Sep;26(4-5):251-60 
• PMID:21958171
• Visual outcomes after wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy and wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis: Prospective comparison.
• Moshirfar M, Schliesser JA, Chang JC, Oberg TJ, Mifflin MD, Townley R, Livingston MK, Kurz CJ.
• J Cataract Refract Surg. 2010 Aug;36(8):1336-43. 
• PMID:20656157
• Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Viral keratitis in the left eye managed by antiviral drops and a retrobulbar injection of 20 mg of gentamicin.
• Yin X, Ji S, Yuan R, Liu S, Chen S, Lanzetta P, Tarantini A, Goff MJ, Townley JR.
• Retina. 2008 Nov-Dec;28(10):1537-43. 

PMID:18997614