Carl B. Tubbs, M.D.

Comprehensive Ophthalmology
Glaucoma Surgery
Cataract Surgery

Dr. Tubbs joined Associated Eye Care in 1993, becoming the fourth Ophthalmologist at Associated Eye Care. He practices general eye care but has a special interest in the medical and surgical management of glaucoma, and regularly works with referring doctors to perform consultations and make treatment plans for more complex patients.

With a broad educational base, he completed his baccalaureate degree in Chemistry at Dartmouth College, and then completed a degree in Microbiology with the University of Washington in Seattle, subsequently working in basic Immunology research at the University of Washington, where he studied soluble mediators in the immune response - how different immune cells can talk with one another at a distance. He received his MD degree with High Honors from the University of Washington, graduating second in his class, and then completed his Ophthalmology residency at the University of Minnesota, where he received the “Householder Award” for compassionate patient care. After medical school and residency, Dr. Tubbs completed a one year fellowship in the sub-specialty of glaucoma through the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and then subsequently joined Associated Eye Care. “I feel that AEC is an excellent practice due to the high specialty training and collegiality of its staff and members, and the progressive care that is provided here, along with an appropriate incorporation of highly advanced technology," Dr. Tubbs says.

Research and teaching remain important to Dr. Tubbs, who has an Adjunct Associate Professorship with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota. He regularly attends the Veterans Administration Hospital in Minneapolis, where he instructs UMN residents in the management of glaucoma, and supervises resident training in the surgical management of both cataract and glaucoma. As time allows, he is involved in research studies and data collection concerning the medical and surgical treatments for glaucoma, and he has performed several Phase III and IV studies over the past 20 years.

For the past three years, Dr. Tubbs has become increasingly active on national and international committees in order to write and revise ocular safety standards that are used in the development of implantable ocular devices, as well as and other surgical devices such as LASIK. (Working with the FDA, industry representatives, and expert researchers in the US and abroad, such standards are initially developed and then then are applied in the research and development of these sorts of devices, so that the end result can be a product that is as safe and effective as possible, and one that can reach the market in a timely manner.) He is active with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) organization, holding a position as the American Academy of Ophthalmology representative to this organization. He also currently chairs the Z80 SC4 Committee, which is now quite active in revising three lens implant standards, as well as the single US glaucoma implant standard. On an international level, he is a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) expert from the US to the International Standards Organization (ISO) for intra-ocular lens implants, and thus has the responsibility of attending international meetings in order to express the consensus US opinions on lens standards development so that the US can continue to be a leader in technical innovation, and that US interests and industry can be promoted and protected.

Dr. Tubbs lives in Stillwater, MN, where he and his wife, Christine, have raised two wonderful boys who are now out finding direction of their own. His current pastimes include astronomy and astrophotography, gardening, bicycling and skiing.

“Things can’t always be improved, but if we can identify major problems, we can at least work toward making them tolerable," Dr. Tubbs says. "There is much to see and to investigate in the world if we look for it, whether we use our eyes or not.”

Certification: American Board of Ophthalmology, 1994 and 2004
Glaucoma Fellowship: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Residency: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Internship: Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle, WA
Medical School: University of Washington, Seattle, WA

NGC 2403 as seen from Stillwater, MN.