Even though he was already sold on pursuing Ophthalmology, Sollenberger said it was the clinical rotations in med school that really gave him the vibe of the profession.

“When I rotated through the Ophthalmology department at Memphis, I thought to myself, ‘These are my people,’” he said. “I just kind of found my crew and knew immediately this is where I belong.”

Later, an internship with renowned Dr. David Harris helped spark Sollenberger’s interest in specializing in cornea-related conditions.

During Sollenberger’s residency at Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis, an annual pro bono event called Cataract-A-Thon offered him his first full experience with life-changing cataract surgery. At this event, qualifying patients who didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford surgery could have their sight restored at no charge.

“That was a great opportunity for some of the second-year residents to get their first real cataract surgeries under their belt,” Sollenberger said. “You would have performed 60-80 partial surgeries up to that point, but this was the opportunity to spread your wings and do the full surgery from start to finish.”

His first Cataract-A-Thon patient was a truly satisfying case where a life was remarkably changed for the better.

“Cornea transplants are an unbelievable surgery,” Sollenberger said. “The degree of sophistication that we have with transplants now is amazing. Being able to transplant a piece of tissue that is a hundredth of a millimeter thick in 20 minutes and restore a patient’s vision is incredible. It’s such an elegant surgery.”

Dr. Sollenberger is excited about introducing even more advanced vision-improving techniques at Drs. Campbell, Cunningham, Taylor & Haun, including a procedure called DSO (Descemet Stripping Only) or DWEK (Descemet Stripping Without Endothelial Keratoplasty), non-transplant procedures to address Fuch’s Dystrophy. With Dr. Anthony Lubniewski, Dr. Sollenberger performed the first two of these procedures ever done at Washington University in St. Louis. Both patients, who were an uncorrectable 20/60 at first, ended up with 20/20 vision after their procedures.

Though Dr. Sollenberger brings a wealth of knowledge and passion about all things Ophthalmology to the practice, cornea transplants and excellent refractive outcomes really fuel his passion for the field.

“Cornea transplants are part of what gets me excited about the day,” he said. “Something that I really take pride in is getting patients as optically perfect as I can. I just love getting really nice refractive outcomes.”

Dr. Sollenberger has come full circle by joining a practice that has been an East Tennessee institution since 1952, something he couldn’t be more pleased about.

“It’s pretty special. I knew going into med school that not only did I want to do Ophthalmology, but I wanted to do it at this practice,” he said. “It’s not just about continuing a family legacy. That’s certainly nice, but I wanted to come back because I knew it was just a great practice. I knew the doctors, the staff, and just knew it was an exceptional crew that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for a long time.”

Although his grandfather didn’t ‘push’ him to pursue Ophthalmology, Sollenberger will tell you there were some ‘nudges’ along the way that helped point him in the right direction.

“When I was a teenager and having more complex conversations with him, I remember him telling me that job satisfaction is unbelievable,” Sollenberger said. “He said every day you make a difference in someone’s life, and that just doesn’t get old. And now I get to do that for a living.”

When Dr. Sollenberger isn’t tending to his patients, the avid outdoorsman enjoys rock climbing, fly fishing, and hiking. He and his fiancé, Anna, are always on the lookout for their next outdoor adventure.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sollenberger or any of our physicians, call us at (865) 584-0905.

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