Dr Anuja Desai is an accomplished Cornea and Refractive Surgeon, visionary leader, and dedicated humanitarian who has transformed the landscape of eye care in Gujarat. With over a decade of experience and more than 35,000 successful LASIK procedures, 1,300+ SMILE Pro laser surgeries, and 50+ corneal transplants, she is among India’s foremost ophthalmic surgeons known for combining cutting-edge technology with compassionate patient care.
A gold-medalist and postgraduate in Ophthalmology, Dr Desai completed her Fellowship in Cornea & Refractive Surgery from the prestigious Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. Her expertise spans advanced laser vision correction techniques, corneal transplants, ocular surface disorders, and management of complex traumatic and infectious corneal diseases.
Her remarkable contributions have been recognised with numerous honours, including the My FM Business Solitaires Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology, the Navratna of Gujarat Award, and the Times Power Women Award for her pioneering work in refractive surgery and community eye health. She has also been featured as an IAPB Eye Health Hero, highlighting her impact in promoting equitable and accessible vision care.
Dr Desai’s passion for community service is expressed in Project Disha, a flagship outreach initiative of the KD Foundation. Launched under her leadership, the program delivers free eye care services to underserved populations across various districts of Gujarat. To date, Project Disha has touched over 78,000 lives, screened more than 60,000 children from municipal schools, facilitated 1,700+ free eye surgeries, and distributed over 9,000 corrective spectacles—bringing the gift of sight to those who need it most. Her belief that “healthcare is a right, not a privilege” drives every aspect of her work, from hospital corridors to rural communities.
An active contributor to ophthalmic research, Dr Desai has published extensively in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
Initial Visual and Refractive Outcomes of Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction Using 2 MHz Femtosecond Laser Platform (Clinical Ophthalmology, 2025)
Flappergasted! (Indian Journal of Ophthalmology – Case Reports, 2022)
Measuring the Impact of a Single Dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine on Hospital Stay, ICU Requirement and Mortality Outcome (International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2021)
Perception and Stigma Regarding Eye Donation among Employees in a Tertiary Care Centre (2021)
Contribution to the Collaborative OPAI-IJO Study on Mucormycosis in COVID- 19 (Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2021).
Her scholarly work reflects her commitment to evidence-based practice and continual innovation in ophthalmology.
Driven by purpose and compassion, Dr Anuja Desai continues to redefine eye care in India—bridging the gap between advanced medical science and inclusive community service. She embodies the ethos of KD Hospital: Excellence with empathy, science with soul, and vision with purpose.
