Dr. Robert E. Coffee, MD

Specialties & Services

Dr. Coffee offers comprehensive medical and surgical interventions for conditions affecting the retina and vitreous humor, utilizing the most advanced diagnostics and therapeutic modalities available: 

• Macular Degeneration (AMD) – Comprehensive medical management of age-related macular degeneration, including advanced anti-VEGF intravitreal injection therapies for wet AMD.
• Diabetic Eye Disease – Advanced screening, monitoring, and therapeutic treatment protocols for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema (DME).
• Retinal Detachment Repair – Urgent and complex surgical stabilization using advanced vitrectomy, scleral buckle, and pneumatic retinopexy techniques.
• Laser & Surgical Floater Procedures – Specialized procedures designed to eliminate symptomatic vitreous floaters and restore visual clarity.
• Macular Hole & Membrane Surgery – High-precision micro-surgical repair for macular holes and epiretinal membrane (macular pucker) removal to restore central visual acuity.
• Retinal Vein Occlusion Management – Targeted medical and surgical intervention for central and branch retinal vein occlusions.
• Preventive Retinal Laser Therapy – Precision laser photocoagulation to treat retinal tears and holes, effectively preventing full retinal detachments.
• Vitreous Hemorrhage Treatment – Advanced surgical clearing of bleeding within the posterior cavity of the eye.
• Intravitreal Injections – Targeted intraocular anti-VEGF and steroid injection protocols for chronic retinal vascular diseases.

Office Location – Schedule an Appointment

To schedule your consultation, please contact the office directly or request an appointment here.

Accepted Insurance Plans:
Dr. Coffee accepts most major medical insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial carriers. View our full list of accepted plans →

Credentials & Professional Experience

Experience

• Berkeley Eye Center | Partner & Vitreoretinal Surgeon | 2015 – Present
• Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine | Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology | 2011 – 2015
• Vistar Eye Center | Retina Surgeon | 2009 – 2011

Education & Training

• Fellowship: Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA | Diseases and Surgery of the Retina and Vitreous, Los Angeles, CA | 2007 – 2009
• Residency: Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine | Ophthalmology, Houston, TX | 2004 – 2007
• Internship: Baylor College of Medicine | Transitional Internship, Houston, TX | 2003 – 2004
• Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina | Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Charleston, SC | 1999 – 2003
• Master’s Degree: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University | Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology, Atlanta, GA | 1997 – 1999
• Undergraduate: Davidson College | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biology, Davidson, NC | 1993 – 1997

Licensure & Board Certifications

• Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) – Certified since 2008
• Licensed by the Medical Board of Texas

Patient Reviews

Awards & Recognition

• Castle Connolly Top Doctor – Nationally recognized peer designation since 2023.
• Vitals Patients’ Choice Award – Honored by patients for outstanding bedside manner, clinical clarity, and exceptional specialized care.

Professional Affiliations & Academic Contributions

Professional Memberships & Affiliations

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Member | 2004 – Present
• American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Member | 2008 – Present
• American Medical Association (AMA), Member
• Texas Medical Association (TMA), Member
• Texas Ophthalmological Association (TOA), Member
• Harris County Medical Society (HCMS), Member

Publications & Ophthalmic Research

Dr. Coffee’s core research interests are primarily focused on diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers and textbook chapters advancing retinal medicine:

• Micheletti JM, Weber N, McCauley MB, Doe EA, Coffee RE, Caplan MB. Punch and rescue technique for scleral fixation of dislocated single-piece intraocular lenses. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2022;48(2):247-250.
• Garoon RB, Coffee RE, Jiang L, Weng CY, Carvounis PE. Adjunct Intravitreous Triamcinolone Acetonide in the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema with Anti-VEGF Agents. J Ophthalmol. 2016; pub Nov 17.
• Khatib N, Coffee RE. Vascular Malformations of the Retina and Posterior Segment of the Eye. In: Vascular Lesions of the Orbit and Face: Imaging and Management. Springer International Publishing, 2016.
• Dwight JG, Weng CY, Coffee RE, Pawlowski ME, Tkaczyk TS. Hyperspectral Image Mapping Spectrometry for Retinal Oximetry Measurements in Four Diseased Eyes. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2016;56(4):25-38.
• Schmidt CM, Sundararajan M, Biggerstaff KS, Orengo-Nania S, Coffee RE, Khandelwal SS. Indications and outcomes of resident-performed cataract surgery requiring return to the operating room. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2016;42(3):385-91.
• Walton OB 4th, Garoon RB, Weng CY, Gross J, Young AK, Camero KA, Jin H, Carvounis PE, Coffee RE, Chu YI. Evaluation of Automated Teleretinal Screening Program for Diabetic Retinopathy. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016;134(2):204-9.
• Brunin G, Khandelwal S, Coffee RE, Orengo-Nania S, Biggerstaff KS. Outcomes of anterior chamber intraocular lenses placed by surgeons in training. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2015;41(10):2102-6.
• Coffee RE, Jiang L, Rahman S. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy: advances in surgical management. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2014;54(2):91-109.
• Rahimy E, Coffee RE, McCannell TA. Bilateral Diffuse Uveal Melanocytic Proliferation as a Precursor to Multiple Systemic Malignancies. Semin Ophthalmol. 2013.
• Meleth AD, Pinninti U, Coffee RE, Carvounis PE. Acute severe visual loss and a brainstem mass. Lancet. 2012;380(9855):1790.
• Hubschman JP, Coffee RE, Bourges JL, Schwartz SD. Experimental model of intravitreal injection techniques. Retina. 2010;30(1):167-73.
• Prasad PS, Oliver SC, Coffee RE, Hubschman JP, Schwartz SD. Ultra Wide-Field Angiographic Characteristics of Branch Retinal and Hemicentral Retinal Vein Occlusion. Ophthalmology. 2009.
• Coffee RE, Jain A, McCannel TA. Ultra wide-field imaging of choroidal metastasis secondary to primary breast cancer. Semin Ophthalmol. 2009;24(1):34-6.
• Shah SP, Jain A, Coffee RE, McCannel TA. Optos Panoramic 200MA ultrawide-field imaging of peripheral RPE adenoma. Semin Ophthalmol. 2009;24(1):37-9.
• Coffee RE and Young TA. Age-related macular degeneration: a significant cause of blindness among older adults. Geriatrics and Aging. 2008;11(6):322-6.
• Coffee RE, Westfall AC, Davis GH, Mieler WF, Holz ER. Symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment and the incidence of delayed retinal breaks: case series and meta-analysis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007;144(3):409-413.
• Chong EM, Coffee RE, Chintagumpala M, Hurwitz RL, Hurwitz MY, Chevez-Barrios P. Extensively necrotic retinoblastoma is associated with high-risk prognostic factors. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2006;130(11):1669-72.
• Lakhanpal RR, Sun RL, Albini TA, Coffee RE, Coats DK, Holz ER. Visual outcomes after three-port lens-sparing vitrectomy in stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity. Arch Ophthalmol. 2006;124(5):675-679.
• Albini TA, Benz MA, Coffee RE, Westfall AC, Lakhanpal RR, McPherson AR, Holz ER. Optical coherence tomography of idiopathic juxtafoveolar telangiectasia. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 2006;37(2):120-8.
• Coffee RE, Nicholas JS, Egan BM, Rumboldt Z, D’Agostino S, Patel SJ. Arterial compression of the retro-olivary sulcus of the medulla in essential hypertension: a multivariate analysis. J Hypertens. 2005;23(11):2027-31.
• Coffee R, Lazarchick J, Chevez-Barrios P, Howard G. Rapid diagnosis of orbital mantle cell lymphoma utilizing fluorescent in-situ hybridization technology. Am J Ophthalmol. 2005;140(3):554-6.

Current & Recent Clinical Trials

Dr. Coffee serves as an investigator for multi-center clinical trials evaluating emerging drug protocols and therapies for retinal disease:

• DRCR Protocol S: Prompt Panretinal Photocoagulation versus Intravitreal Ranibizumab with Deferred Panretinal Photocoagulation for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
• DRCR Protocol T: A Comparative Effectiveness Study of Intravitreal Aflibercept, Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema
• DRCR Protocol U: Short-term Evaluation of Combination Corticosteroid+Anti-VEGF Treatment for Persistent Central-Involved Diabetic Macular Edema Following Anti-VEGF Therapy
• DRCR Protocol V: Treatment for Central-Involved Diabetic Macular Edema in Eyes with Very Good Visual Acuity
• LUCIA Study: A 2-year Study of EYP-1901 in Subjects With Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration (WAMD)
• Character Bio Study: A cross-sectional study of the genetic determinants of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
• Adverum Biotechnologies Trial: Ixo-vec IVT Gene Therapy Study for Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration (WAMD)

Teaching, Mentorship & Faculty Appointments

• Adjunct Assistant Professor | Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine: Actively participates in advanced retinal imaging conferences and delivers specialized lectures to medical students, ophthalmic residents, and vitreoretinal fellows focusing on complex retinal diseases, statistical medical analysis, and clinical practice management.
• Director of Resident Research | Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine: Managed and shaped academic research protocols for training physicians from 2011 to 2014.
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) | Baylor College of Medicine: Served as a core IRB Member (2012–2015) and was appointed Co-Chair of Institutional Review Board 1 (2014–2015), overseeing medical ethics and research compliance.
• Clinical Faculty Input Committee | Baylor College of Medicine: Active contributor from 2012 to 2015.

Community Involvement & Personal Background

Dr. Coffee resides in the Houston area with his wife, who is a practicing veterinarian. Outside of his clinical commitments, he is an avid collector of wine, and enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling.

Deeply committed to animal welfare, Dr. Coffee is actively involved with national and local charitable organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Cavalier Rescue USA. Additionally, he shares a special passion for hospice service; he and his certified therapy dog dedicate their personal time to volunteering with patients and families at Houston Hospice.

Last Updated: July 2026