Hi there, my name is Kevin Toller. I joined The Eye Center in September 2019. Don’t let that worry you, I’ve been working with eyes and vision since 1995. I wanted to give you a little information to get to know me a little better. I grew up in Bartlesville, OK, and then became a Jayhawk. I spent 8 years getting my undergraduate and medical school education in Lawrence and Kansas City, KS. That was a fantastic time as I was a student and on campus to watch Danny Manning and The Miracles win the 1988 Basketball National Championship. What an unforgettable experience to be at a school during a national championship, everything in sports and on-campus had such a large sense of pride and enthusiasm. I’m sure that is how it was in Fayetteville when Arkansas won its basketball national championship title in 1994. As you might guess, I’m a big college hoops fan. I attend the March Madness games whenever I can.
1994 was the year I left the Midwest to finish my training. I spent a year in the southwest desert in Tucson, AZ. Then I finished my training back in the Midwest at the University of Missouri. After my training, I remained in the area to start my career.
I’ve practiced in the four-state area for over 20 years and keep medical licenses in all four states. I practiced in Oklahoma in a small town on Grand Lake of the Cherokees for a majority of that time. However, after 20 years in a small town, it was time to move to a larger urban area, and Northwest Arkansas seemed just perfect. We love the area with all the outdoor activities available along with the numerous restaurants and events available. I’m finding the transition to being a Razorback very easy and enjoyable.
Besides being an eye surgeon I have many hobbies, my wife says probably too many, but that is why NWA seems to suit us well. We enjoy camping in the numerous Arkansas State parks with our rescue dogs. I have done some scuba diving in Beaver Lake. I also compete in a few triathlons every year. The swimming, biking, and running keep me pretty busy. I have also been a pilot and have loved flying for over 30 years.
We are avid dog lovers and currently support a couple of rescue organizations. We are on our third rescue currently, a 13-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback. Senior dogs are so special. The dogs are part of our family and they especially love the camping trips and all the things that go along with the great outdoors of the Natural State.
I particularly love my work because being an eye surgeon allows me to help people with what I consider the most important sense, the sense of sight. It is a very rewarding experience helping patients see and do the things they love. I have developed a keen understanding of the term “glasses independence.” I depend on glasses and bifocals like many of my patients. However, with some of the more recent advances in my surgical field “glasses independence” is a very realistic goal. I would love to not have to deal with my glasses when transitioning through the triathlon disciplines, or figure out how to get a glasses prescription for my diving mask!! I try to focus my surgeries on decreasing my patients’ glasses dependence as much as possible because I know first hand what a difference it can make.
Thank you for your time reading this, I hope to see you at The Eye Center and can’t wait to get to know you a little better.
