Dr. Karen Alvarez is a fellowship-trained, board-certified pediatric ophthalmologist. She is trained to diagnose, monitor, and medically or surgically treat various ocular and visual disorders. This includes strabismus in adults and children, pediatric neuro-ophthalmology, amblyopia, ptosis, lacrimal tear duct blockages, eyelid cyst, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among others.
Dr. Alvarez is originally from Barranquilla, Colombia but was raised in Miami and attended the local public schools. She attended the University of Miami for her undergraduate training and Nova Southeastern University for medical school. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Interfaith Medical Center/St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in New York and her fellowship training at Baylor University-Texas Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Alvarez spent her first 4 years as a pediatric ophthalmologist and refractive surgeon in the US Army. She then left the Army and spent 7 years in Jacksonville, Florida working as a pediatric ophthalmologist. While in Jacksonville, she served in a variety of leadership positions including Chief Pediatric Ophthalmologist at Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital, Director of the pediatric neuro-ophthalmology clinic, and pediatric visual electrophysiology at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care.
Dr. Alvarez decided to become a pediatric ophthalmologist due to her love for strabismus surgery and because she sincerely enjoys working with children. Dr. Alvarez has a very strong interest in the diagnosis and treatment of neuro-ophthalmic problems in children.
Dr. Alvarez is returning to South Florida to take care of her community and be closer to her family. Dr. Alvarez is a Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). She is fluent in English and Spanish.
