
MBChB, PhD, FRANZCO
Cornea and corneal surgery
Cataract
Pterygium
Keratoconus
Correction of refractive error
Dry eye
General Ophthalmology
Phone: (07) 834 6335
About James’s career
Dr James McKelvie is a consultant ophthalmologist with subspecialist fellowship training in cornea, anterior segment, cataract and refractive surgery. James is a consultant at Hamilton Eye Clinic, Waikato DHB, the University of Auckland and is the CEO of CatTrax, an award-winning health IT company designed to improve visual outcomes following cataract surgery.
Training
James completed his specialist training in general ophthalmology with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists in New Zealand. His subspecialist fellowship training was completed in Auckland and Queen Victoria Hospital in the UK. In addition to his medical qualifications, James has completed a PhD in ophthalmology developing stem-cell therapy for treating corneal disorders.
Cataract and corneal surgery
James is committed to providing the highest quality eye care for his patients. He has completed thousands of cataract surgeries in NZ and the UK and uses a pain-free no-needle surgical technique that enables rapid recovery.
In addition to cataract surgery, James has significant experience in all aspects of corneal surgery. This includes pterygium surgery, corneal crosslinking, all variants corneal transplantation, laser corneal surgery and intracorneal ring segments. He has subspecialist training in complex cataract surgery, anterior segment reconstruction, and treatment of refractive error using laser, ICLs, phakic IOLs, and piggyback lenses to provide the best visual outcomes even in challenging cases.
Research to improve patient results
James coordinates multiple clinical research projects involving a team of doctors through his role at the University of Auckland and has research publications in a number of high-ranking international medical journals. Current research topics include improving health outcomes using big data and artificial intelligence, intraocular lens optics and higher-order aberrations, keratoconus, corneal transplantation, surgical risk and all aspects of cataract surgery.