Philip Ngai, MD, MBA, MS
Dr. Philip Ngai is a Board-Certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained cataract and glaucoma specialist in Redwood City, CA, serving the Peninsula and the greater Bay Area region.
Dr. Ngai is recognized by physicians and surgeons to be a Castle Connelly Top Doctor.
As one of the few glaucoma sub-specialists and complex-cataract specialists in the area, new patient consultations are available with Dr. Ngai by referral only. Appointment availability may be limited.
Board-Certified
Fellowship-Trained
Glaucoma SUB-Specialist
Dr. Philip Ngai is a Board-Certified and Fellowship-trained glaucoma and cataract sub-specialist. Dr. Ngai is the only community-based glaucoma specialist in Redwood City, and one of the few the in the Bay Area Peninsula.
Dr. Ngai is highly trained in the latest glaucoma treatments, including bio-interventional glaucoma surgery (BIOS), minimally invasive bleb surgery (MIBS), and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), laser glaucoma surgery, and traditional incisional glaucoma surgery.
Dr. Ngai completed his residency training at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at University of California at Irvine, and performed his first glaucoma procedures under esteemed Director of Glaucoma, Dr. Sameh Mosaed.
Dr. Ngai completed his subspecialty fellowship training in glaucoma, at the Hamilton Glaucoma Center, a glaucoma center for excellence, at the Shiley Eye Institute in the University of California at San Diego. Dr. Ngai trained directly under the world-renown glaucoma specialist, Dr. Robert Weinreb.
REFRACTIVE (Vision-Enhancing) and Complex Cataract Specialist
Dr. Philip Ngai completed his residency training at one of the top residencies for cataract surgery, the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at University of California at Irvine, led at the time by the late, esteemed Cornea and Cataract expert Dr. Roger F. Steinert. While at GHEI, Dr. Ngai also trained under prominent cataract experts Dr. Sam Garg and Dr. Marjan Farid, and Dr. Matt Wade.
This rigorous cataract training program has been ranked in the top 90th percentile by volume for cataract surgeries among ophthalmology residencies nationwide.
As a glaucoma specialist, Dr. Ngai operates on some of the most complex cataract cases that are often found in patients with severe glaucoma. He has extensive experience in laser-assisted cataract surgery, refractive cataract surgery, suture-less cataract surgery, drop-less cataract surgery, astigmatism correction, presbyopia correction, and complex cataract surgery.
ADVISORy Board Member
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
OPinion Leader
Dr. Philip Ngai is considered to be an expert in interventional glaucoma (IG), bio-interventional glaucoma surgery (BIOS), minimally invasive bleb surgery (MIBS), and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).
Dr. Ngai specializes in combining various minimally invasive surgical approaches and modalities in order to achieve the maximum eye pressure control with the least amount of risk.
Dr. Ngai works closely with some of the leading ophthalmology and glaucoma device companies such as Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), Ivantis (acquired by Alcon), Glaukos, Sight Sciences, iCare, and Iantrek. As an physician advisor, Dr. Ngai provides feedback on surgical instrument and device design, diagnostic imaging devices, maximizing office workflow, and health information management.
Dr. Ngai has participated as an expert panelist at ophthalmology national and local conferences, has served on advisory board member, and has been a host for numerous discussions regarding the latest approaches in glaucoma management.
Comprehensive Eye Care Specialist
Dr. Philip Ngai is a ophthalmology subspecialist in glaucoma and cataract treatment. Like all ophthalmologists, he is also trained in comprehensive and primary care of the eye.
Outside of glaucoma, his treatment expertise includes, but is not limited to: dry eye syndrome, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration, pterygium, retina and retinopathies, corneal surface diseases and dystrophies, as well as many other common eye diseases.
About Dr. Philip Ngai
Dr. Philip Ngai is a fellowship-trained cataract and glaucoma sub-specialist in Redwood City and the Bay Area Peninsula. He also practices as a comprehensive ophthalmologist, and treats most common diseases of the eyes.
Dr. Ngai was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, and is one of two sons of immigrant parents. He is the first in his family to become a physician (his brother is a pediatric dentist).
Since Dr. Ngai was a child, his lifelong dream has always been to utilize his scientific interests, strong work ethic, and positive personality to create a lasting legacy and improve the lives of others.
He first discovered ophthalmology and eye surgery when his father suddenly became struck with glaucoma, and required emergency vision-saving surgery. The high precision, and more importantly, the high human impact of saving someone’s vision, made ophthalmology the one and only career choice for Dr. Ngai.
Among Dr. Ngai’s many outside interests are his desire to understand human behavior and what motivates people. He loves to experience different cultures and backgrounds not only while working as a physician with patients, but also through world travel.
Dr. Ngai combines his career and personal interests through volunteering in free clinics in Mexico, Santa Ana, CA, and downtown San Diego. He also spends time as a clinical instructor, and enjoys teaching new eye surgeons the art of medicine and surgery. When he is not traveling abroad, he is experiencing different cultures locally through food.
In order to keep his food interests physically sustainable, Dr. Ngai is also interested in fitness. He ran cross country and was a volleyball outside hitter in high school. He also rowed crew competitively both in high school and in college. These days, however, Dr. Ngai spends more time with resistance training inside a gym than on the waters rowing a boat.
Dr. Ngai is a DIYer, tinkerer, creator, and “lifehacker” by nature. He is also an Eagle Scout (ask him about his knot tying ability!). He loves spending time in his workshop fixing, building, and upgrading things. As a kid, he had built dozens of custom computers for family and friends. One of his ongoing projects has been to automate his entire house with voice-controlled lighting and security. His latest goal is to get his home off of the electrical grid and powering his home entirely though solar and battery power (without burning his house down!)
Training and Education
Glaucoma Fellowship
After residency, Dr. Ngai felt compelled to sub-specialize in the surgical and medical treatment of Glaucoma. Dr. Ngai completed his glaucoma training (technically his 28th grade of schooling!) at one of the top glaucoma fellowships in the nation: the world-renowned Hamilton Glaucoma Center, and glaucoma center of excellence at the Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego.
Under the auspices of Dr. Robert N. Weinreb, one of the nation’s leading glaucomatologists and researchers in glaucoma, Dr. Ngai learned the subtle nuances of the medical and surgical management of glaucoma. While there, he gained extensive experience in traditional incisional, laser, and minimally-invasive glaucoma surgery. In fact, during his fellowship training, Dr. Ngai completed more glaucoma-specific surgeries than many eye surgeons complete in their entire careers.
Ophthalmology Residency
Dr. Ngai finished his internship and was then honored to be selected as one of three residents out of hundreds of applicants to join the competitive ophthalmology residency at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine.
This rigorous, top rated California residency program trains eye surgeons with cataract experience that ranks above the 90th percentile in the nation for cataract surgery. The ophthalmology department was chaired by the world-renown leader in cornea and cataract surgery, and inventor of several intraocular surgical instruments, Dr. Roger F. Steinert.
MEDICAL INTERNSHIP
After business and medical school, Dr. Ngai performed his internal medicine internship at the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA, where he worked on the general medicine wards. His favorite places to train during his internship were the Intensive Care and Cardiac Care Units.
Business School
Dr. Ngai completed his business school training at the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business where he focused on entrepreneurship, and worked alongside talented individuals in the healthcare industry.
During business school, Dr. Ngai strengthened his skills that would allow him to create a tightly knit organization that could support a successful private practice.
Early on, Dr. Ngai understood that private practices, a dying breed, are arguably the purest and most personal form of practicing medicine. Larger healthcare systems, usually led by non-physician CEOs and administrators, are crippled by bureaucracy, politics, inertia, overhead, and shareholders who do not necessarily have the interests of patients, physicians, and healthcare teams at heart.
Medical School
Out of thousands of applicants, Dr. Ngai was selected into a competitive combined MD-MBA program in Orange County, CA.
He completed medical school training at the prestigious UC Irvine School of Medicine.
Graduate STudies
After UC San Diego, Dr. Ngai studied at Georgetown University to earn a Masters degree in Physiology and Biophysics, which strengthened his passion for health sciences and affirmed his desire to practice medicine.
Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Philip Ngai completed his undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, majoring in bioengineering and double-minoring in healthcare social issues and economics.
While at UC San Diego, he ran for office and was elected as a college senator by a college-wide majority vote. He also was an emergency medical technician rescuing and transporting patients in San Diego County.
Professional Societies
Dr. Ngai absolutely loves his job as an ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist.
Even after 28 years of schooling and training, Dr. Ngai understands the importance of lifelong learning.
As a result, he is a member of the American Glaucoma Society, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Refractive Surgery Alliance, among others.
