• Board Certifed by the American Board of Ophthalmology
• Virginia Tech
  Blacksburg, VA
  B.S. in Biology
  B.S. in Marketing
• Medical College of Virginia
  Richmond, VA - M.D. Degree
• University of Virginia
  Roanoke, VA - Internship
• Medical College of Virginia
  Richmond, VA - 3-Year Residency in Ophthalmology
• Wills Eye Hospital
  Philadelphia, PA - Oculoplastic Fellowship
• American Academy of Ophthalmology - Member
• American Medical Association - Member
• Phi Sigma Biological Honor Society - Member
• Joined Marietta Eye Clinic in 2001
• Specialist in Oculoplastic Surgery and Ophthalmology
• Avid baseball fan, owns a huge baseball card collection
• One of his long-term goals: to complete a triathlon

The youngest of three children and an admitted “surprise” baby (he is eleven years younger than his middle sibling), Dr. Long had the undivided attention of his mother, a Registered Nurse (RN). In the time they spent together, he learned of her love for the healing arts, her desire to help her patients, and of her deep admiration for those who chose the practice of medicine as a career.

There was also a family friend, an emergency room physician who knew of a certain teen’s respect for his mother’s work, who invited him to visit the emergency room from time to time and observe the excitement. Little did the physician know that the interested young man would continue to visit the emergency room to observe for the next five years.

It came as no surprise then, to those who knew him, when Dr. Long announced when he was a junior in college that he was minoring in pre-med while pursuing a business degree. He had given in to a calling – he had decided to become a doctor.

Undecided about where in medicine to focus his training, Dr. Long was pleasantly surprised when, during an ophthalmology rotation, he learned that he was fascinated with the eye. “I couldn’t help but be motivated by the remarkable outcomes of eye surgery that I witnessed,” he explains. As he pursued his new interest in ophthalmology, he also discovered oculoplasty, or the plastic and reconstructive surgeries of the eye. “It is a specialty that allows me to be a surgeon and maintain ongoing patient contact in a routine clinic setting.”

Even though oculoplasty is a subspecialty of ophthalmology, it is very broad-based, requiring expertise in cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery after traumatic injuries or diseases such as cancer.

“I am trained to perform over one hundred different surgeries or procedures related to the eye. It is not uncommon for me to complete a dozen different types of surgery in a single day.”

When asked if he remains as motivated by his patients now as he was when he first fell in love with ophthalmology, his answer is a decided Yes. “I recently repaired the drooping eyelid of an elderly woman who had lived her entire life seeing with only one eye. She cried when she realized she could fully open both eyes and see. That kind of motivation never grows old.”

Dr. Long is an ophthalmologist who specializes in oculoplastic surgery. He performs plastic and reconstructive surgery such as eyelid and brow lifts, treats trauma to and around the eye, and performs orbital reconstruction following facial trauma. He also repairs abnormal tear duct systems and administers Botox Cosmetic to restore a youthful appearance.

Dr. Long was one of only twelve recipients of oculoplastic fellowships offered in the United States each year. He completed his fellowship at the world-renowned Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

When asked about his guiding philosophy as an oculoplastic surgeon, Dr. Long replies, “My greatest satisfaction as an oculoplastic surgeon is when I see my patients after the surgery and realize how happy they are with the results. I discourage it when I think they may be seeking what will be an unnatural appearance. I strive to leave them looking rested and rejuvenated rather than sculpted or tightened. When we both agree that the natural but youthful appearance is best, it is a good thing.”

Because everyone’s face and facial expression is so unique, oculoplasty is as much an art as it is a form of surgery.

Oculoplastic surgery includes a wide variety of surgical procedures, such as the repair of droopy eyelids, correction of tear duct obstructions, repair of orbital fractures, removal of tumors in and around the eyes, and facial rejuvenation procedures including skin resurfacing, eye lifts, and brow lifts.

When not at work, Dr. Long can be found hiking, camping or fishing with his wife and two children.