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John S. Berestka, M.D.

" I believe good vision is a gift from God. I try to do whatever I can to preserve and enhance this gift."
John S. Berestka, M.D.

Reviews

John S. Berestka, M.D., is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and partner at Northwest Eye, specializing in corneal, glaucoma, cataract and LASIK surgery. He has been a member of Northwest Eye’s respected team of doctors since 1996.

Dr. Berestka received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Johns Hopkins University. After an internship at Hennepin County Medical Center, he completed an ophthalmology residency at the Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He also traveled to India for an externship at the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai. Following his residency, Dr. Berestka completed a fellowship in cornea, glaucoma, and refractive surgery at the Phillips Eye Institute in Minneapolis.

Dr. Berestka was a US Presidential Scholar, a Rhodes Scholar Finalist, and has received an Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He received the Baldinger Award from Notre Dame and the Hewlett-Packard Medical Graduate Award from Johns Hopkins Medical School. He has been honored as a “Top Doc” twenty times by Mpls-St Paul Magazine. Minnesota Monthly magazine has named him both a Top Doctor and a Top Doctor for Women.

Dr. Berestka has served on the faculties of both Harvard and Northwestern Universities. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota. He taught cataract surgery at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center for over a decade. He has also served on the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Education Committee where he helped to write the curriculum taught to ophthalmology residents. Dr. Berestka was chosen by the American Board of Ophthalmology to help create written and oral board examination questions for board certification. He is a member of the Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and Minnesota Medical Association. Dr. Berestka is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Berestka is the founder of Lightfield Medical, a medical imaging company that uses computational optics to completely change the way that ophthalmologists examine eyes, especially in underserved areas. His invention took second place out of 40 international submissions at the ASCRS Winning Pitch Competition. He holds several US and UK patents, with other US and EU patents pending.

Dr. Berestka serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Eye Foundation. He has also served as the Chair of the Cornea Advisory Committee for Recombinetics, Inc, researching ways to use gene-editing to cure corneal blindness throughout the developing world.

Dr. Berestka felt his calling to ophthalmology when he first witnessed a corneal transplant. The most rewarding part of his career is restoring vision to patients with complex eye problems.

Dr. Berestka shares his life with his wife, Lynette, who is also an ophthalmologist, and their three sons, ages 17, 22, and 24. He is an accomplished skier and taught skiing in Switzerland for a winter. He also enjoys sailing, tennis, jazz and classical piano, and photography.

Dr. Berestka sees patients at our Golden Valley and Wayzata Northwest Eye locations.

  • College
    University of Notre Dame, B.S. In Preprofessional Studies, Highest Honors (1986)
  • Medical School
    The Johns Hopkins University, Doctor of Medicine, School of Medicine (1990)
  • Internship
    Hennepin County Medical Center, Transitional Year Internship, University of Minnesota Medical School (1990-1991)
  • Residency
    Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School (1991-1994)
  • Fellowship
    Refractive Surgery, Cornea and Glaucoma, Lindstrom, Samuelson and Hardten Phillips Eye Institute, Minneapolis (1995-1996)
  • American Medical Association
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • Association for Research in
  • Vision and Ophthalmology
  • American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
  • International Society of Refractive Surgery

  • Thirteen time Mpls-St Paul Magazine ‘Top-Doc’ Honoree
  • United States Presidential Scholar
  • Rhodes Scholar Finalist
  • Hewlett-Packard Medical Graduate Award
  • National Council on the Aging
  • Fellow in Geriatric Medicine
  • University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Summer Research Fellow
  • Medtronic Corporation Summer Research
  • Fellow in Biomedical Engineering
  • Intelligent Medicine, Inc.
  • Summer Research Fellow

Non-medical Awards and Honors

  • Notre Dame Scholar
  • National Merit Scholar
  • Berestka, JS, Rizzo, JF; Controversy in the Management of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy, International Ophthalmology Clinics. (In Press)
  • Hrushesky WJM, Fader DJ, Berestka JS, Sommer M, Hayes J, Cope FO: Diminishment of respiratory sinus arrhythmia foreshadows doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy. Circulation 84:697-707,1991.
  • Berestka JS, Johnson TRB, Hrushesky WJM: Sinusoidal fetal heart rate pattern during breathing is related to the respiratory sinus arrhythmia: A case report. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 160:690-692, 1989.
  • Hrushesky WJM, Berestka J, Roemeling RV, Olshefski R, Langevin TR, Potish RA, Delany JP, Elefson M, Schwartz S: Methylene blue protects intestinal mucosa from sublethal radiation damage. Journal of Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. 8:23-26, 1988.
  • Mormont MC, Roemeling RV, Sothern RB, Berestka JS, Langevin T, Wick M, Hrushesky WJM: Circadian rhythm and seasonal dependence in the toxicological response of mice to epirubicin. Investigational New Drugs. 6:273-286, 1988.
  • Roemeling RV, Olshefski R, Langevin TR, Berestka JS, Reusch J, Reusch JE, Lakatua D, Wick MR, Hrushesky WJM: Cisplatin chronotherapy and disulfiram rescue reduce toxicity without interfering with anticancer activity: Animal findings and preliminary clinical experience. Chroniology International. 3:55-64, 1986.
  • Roemeling RV, Wick MR, Rabatin JT, Berestka J, Langevin TR, Lakatua D, Mormont MC, Mushiya T, Hrushesky WJM: Circadian stage dependency of FUDR toxicity. Annual Review of Chronopharmacology. 3:191-193,1986.
  • Mormont MC, Berestka J, Mushiya T, Langevin TR, Roemeling RV, Rabatin JT , Sothern R, Hrushesky WJM: Circadian dependency of vinblastine toxicity. Annual Review of Chronopharmacology. 3:187-190,1986.
  • Berestka JS: Pediatric ophthalmology. In Lamkin JC (ed): The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Review Manual for Ophthalmology. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1993.
  • Berestka, JS, Navon, S: Novel adjustable suture technique for repair of corneoscleral lacerations (letter). Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 20:447-448, 1994.
  • Berestka JS: Downhill Skiing: impressive to the impressionable. Journal of the American Medical Association. 262:1328,1989.
  • Kornmehl EW, Berestka JS, Lin, S: Early visual recovery after penetrating keratoplasty with adjustable single continuous suture technique. Cornea.
  • Berestka JS: How old is your heart? High Technology. 6:60, 1986.
  • Sommer M, Berestka J: RSA-Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia: A new measure of cardiac health. Medical Electronics. 104:112-114, 1987.

Abstract Presentations

  • Berestka JS, Hardten DR, Parker, PJ, Lindstrom, RL: Prospective evaluation of Chiron Technolas excimer laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for moderate to high myopia. Presented at the American Society for IOL, Cataract and Refractive Surgery, June 2, 1996, Seattle, Washington.
  • Berestka JS, Hardten DR, Lindstrom, RL: Localized anterior stromal melting over epithelial cells retained in the corneal interface after automated lamellar keratoplasty. Presented at the World Congress of the Cornea IV, April 19, 1996, Orlando, Florida.
  • Berestka JS, Brown, SVL: Limbus- vs. fornix-based flaps in combined phacoemulsification and mitomycin C trabeculectomy surgery. Presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting, October 29, 1995, Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Berestka JS, Kornmehl, EW, Lin, S: Early visual recovery after penetrating keratoplasty with adjustable single continuous suture technique. Proceedings of the Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, May 4, 1994, Sarasota, Florida.
  • Berestka JS, Lawrence MG, Mangione C, Orav: Postoperative refractive error and visual outcome after cataract extraction. Proceedings of the Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. May 2-9, 1993, Sarasota, Florida.
  • Berestka JS, Walker KR, Fader D, Herzog C, Hrushesky WJM: The respiratory sinus arrhythmia decreases steadily and predictably with increasing age: Its significance and possible mechanism. Proceedings of the 1988 National Council on the Aging Annual Meeting. April 11-17, 1988, Washington D.C.
  • Langevin TR, Mormont MC, Sothern RE, Berestka JS, Roemeling RV, Hrushesky WJM: Comparison of murine circadian susceptibility to two chemically related anthracycline, epirubicin and doxorubicin. Proceedings of the Third International Society for Chronobiology Conference. July 10-15, 1987, Leiden, The Netherlands.
  • Berestka J, Roemeling R V, Ganzer PJ, Rabatin J, Wick M. Fraley E, Buchwald H, Langevin T, Mushiya T, Hrushesky WJM: Circadian dependency of vinblastine toxicity. Biological Rhythms and Medications: Second International Montreux Conference of Chronopharmacology. March 10-13, 1986, Montreux, Switzerland.
  • Roemeling RV, Ganzer PJ, Berestka J, Langevin T, Wick M, Lakatua D, Mushiya T, Hrushesky WJM: Circadian stage dependency of FUDR toxicity. Biological Rhythms and Medications: Second International Montreux Conference of Chronopharmacology. March 10- 13, 1986, Montreux, Switzerland.
  • Mormont MC, Berestka J, Langevin T, Roemeling R, Mushiya T, Hrushesky WJM: Toxicology of a new anthracycline, epirubicin, is dependent upon when in the day it is given. Proceedings of the 1986 American Association of Cancer Research Meeting. May 4-6, 1986, Los Angeles. 27:417 #1658.
  • Roemeling RV, Berestka J, Langevin T. Wick M, Lakatua D, Olshefski R, Mormont MC, Hrushesky WJM: The circadian timing of FUDR determines its toxicity. Proceedings of the 1986 American Association of Cancer Research Meeting. May 4-6, 1986, Los Angeles, 27:417 #1657.
  • Berestka JS: Synthesis of novel N-substituted beat-lactam antibiotics. American Chemical Society Regional Meeting. April 10, 1986, South Bend, Indiana.
  • Roemeling RV. Langevin T , Berestka J, Buchwald H, Kennedy BJ, Hrushesky WJM: Automatic anticancer chemotherapy using implantable programmable pumps: An attempt to improve therapeutic index. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology. 111(Suppl):97, 1986 (Munich abstract #liv 06).
  • Berestka J, Roemeling RV, Langevin T, Olshefski R, Buchwald H, Grage T, Hrushesky WJM: FUDR toxicity is circadian stage dependent. Proceedings of the Second International Society for Chronobiology Conference. November 3-6, 1985, Little Rock, Arkansas.
  • Roemeling RV, Langevin T , Berestka J, Buchwald H, Grage T, Hrushesky WJM: Automatic chronotherapy using an implanted programmable (Medtronic) pump. Proceedings of the Second International Society for Chronobiology Conference. November 3-6, 1985, Little Rock, Arkansas.
  • Roemeling RV, Olshefski R, Berestka J, Olshefski R, Kennedy BJ, Hrushesky WJM: Automatic chronotherapy using implanted programmable pumps: An attempt to diminish chemotherapy-related toxicity. American College of Physicians. November 22, 1985, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • Roemeling RV, Wick M, Berestka J, Lakatua D, Haus E, Hrushesky WJM: Disulfiram and cisplatin chronotherapy allows safe and effective megadose therapy, American Association for Cancer Research. 26(1083):263, 1985.

Dr. Berestka’s Patient Reviews

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Serving Our Community

With six locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area, Northwest Eye is among the largest eye care providers in the Midwest. Be Eye Wise and schedule a general eye exam or a specific service consultation today. We have optical  at the following offices:  Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, St. Anthony, and Wayzata, MN.

8501 Golden Valley Rd.,
Suite 100 & 200
Golden Valley, MN 55427
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12501 Whitewater Drive, Suite 110
Minnetonka, MN 55343
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12000 Elm Creek Blvd N., Suite 100
Maple Grove, MN 55369
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2601 39th Ave NE., Suite 1
St. Anthony, MN 55421
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250 Central Ave N., Suites 105 & 107, Optical Suite 106
Wayzata, MN 55391
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7125 Tamarack Rd, Suite 150,
Woodbury, MN 55125
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11091 Ulysses St NE., Suite 400
Blaine, MN 55434
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9801 Dupont Ave S., Suite 100
Bloomington, MN 55431
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10709 Wayzata Blvd., Suites 100 & 120
Minnetonka, MN 55305
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