Samuel Passi, MD

Samuel F. Passi, MD

Cataract, Refractive & Cornea Surgery Specialist

Dr. Samuel Passi is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in cataract, refractive, and cornea surgery as well as the management of dry eye disease.

Originally from Grand Rapids, MN, Dr. Passi moved to Utah in 2000 and graduated from American Fork High School. He went on to graduate summa cum laude with departmental and university honors from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with a bachelors in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine and completed his ophthalmology residency at Duke University Eye Center in Durham, NC. Following residency, Dr. Passi completed an anterior segment fellowship at Minnesota Eye Consultants, receiving subspecialty training in cornea, refractive, and external disease.

Dr. Passi performs a wide variety of anterior segment surgeries including LASIK/PRK, laser and standard cataract surgery, full thickness (PKP) and partial thickness cornea transplants (DMEK, DSEK), pterygium excision, corneal cross linkingrefractive lens exchange, and anterior segment reconstruction. Dr. Passi also specializes in the management of chronic dry eye disease and offers a wide array of advanced treatment options including LipiFlowⓇ and Intense Pulse Light (IPL) therapy.

Dr. Passi has received many awards, honors and research grants throughout his training including the Honors at Entrance Four-Year Full-Tuition Scholarship for the University of Utah and the Robert H. Ballard Four-Year Full-Tuition Scholarship for the University of Utah School of Medicine. During his residency, Dr. Passi was the primary inventor of two surgical devices and was awarded both the Ocular Innovation Award and the Alexander Dastgheib Surgical Skill Award. Dr. Passi has also presented at several national conferences and co-authored numerous book chapters and journal publications.

Dr. Passi has always been very involved in volunteer initiatives. He served as the co-manager of the 4th Street Homeless Ophthalmology Clinic and has spent many hours as a music volunteer at Primary Children’s Medical Center. As a volunteer surgeon for SEE International, he helped treat blindness through cataract surgery in Africa. Dr. Passi was also a Global Health Scholar for the University of Utah, where he participated in public health projects in Kumasi, Ghana, and San Jose, Peru.

In his spare time, Dr. Passi enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys and loves to camp, fish, water ski, and play the guitar.

Honors/Certifications

  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Member
  • American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Member
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology, Member
  • Voted “Best Paper of Session” at ASCRS in 2019

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