My Locations
About Me
My practice focuses on the surgical and medical treatment of cornea, anterior segment, and lens disorders in adults and children. I specialize in corneal transplant surgery, cataract surgery with advanced technology lenses, intraocular lens complications, and refractive surgery such as LASIK and PRK. I am fortunate to work at this wonderful institution and in a field where we have the technology to impact lives daily through improvement and customization of vision. I love forming relationships with patients and offering the newest technologies available. Outside of work, I enjoy teaching residents, fellows, and other ophthalmologists both locally and at national meetings. I also love traveling, spending time outdoors biking or running, trying new restaurants, and spending time with my husband and dog.
- Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology, Corneal Diseases 2024
- Director of Cornea Fellowship Program, Ophthalmology, Corneal Diseases 2024
- Faculty Director of the Ophthalmic Technician Training Program, Ophthalmology 2022
Call for an Appointment
Areas of Expertise
- Cataract Surgery Premium Lenses
- Cataract Surgery
- Clear Lens Exchange
- Corneal Disease
- Corneal Transplant Surgery
- LASIK
- PRK
Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
In the News
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Clinical Focus and Research
I am interested in clinical research involving visual outcomes after cataract surgery and corneal transplant surgery. I am also interested in corneal infections, both sporadic and those following corneal transplant surgery.
- Robbins, James O., Kourtney H. Houser, and Christopher R. Dermarkarian. “Primary treatment of advanced ocular surface and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma with intravenous cemiplimab.” Orbit, December 18, 2024, 1. https://doi.org/10.1080/01676830.2024.2439333.
- Fram, Nicole R., Steven G. Safran, Eli Pratte, Arsham Sheybani, Ashvin Agarwal, Kourtney Houser, Sumit Garg, and Marisa Schoen. “Iris defect management in the context of presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses.” J Cataract Refract Surg 50, no. 8 (August 1, 2024): 889–94. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001506.
- Wong, Brittany M., Clémence Bonnet, Reza Ghaffari, Kourtney Houser, Jennifer DeMatteo, Nicola Lau, and Anthony J. Aldave. “Fungal Infection After Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty: Incidence and Outcomes.” Cornea 42, no. 6 (June 1, 2023): 687–98. https://doi.org/10.1097/ICO.0000000000003102.
- Houser, K., J. Duncan, M. P. Weikert, and Z. Al-Mohtaseb. “Learning the Yamane Technique: Pearls and Pitfalls.” In Advanced IOL Fixation Techniques: Strategies for Compromised or Missing Capsular Support, 377–81, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003522539-56.
- Houser, K., and S. C. Pflugfelder. “The Surgical Patient.” In Dry Eye Disease: A Practical Guide, 143–54, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003523918-17.
- Huddleston, Stephen, Kourtney Houser, Daniel Bennett, and R Christopher Walton. “Treatment Outcomes in Uveitic Macular Edema with Serous Retinal Detachment.” In INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Vol. 54, 2013.
- Houser, Kourtney, Heather Leisy, Stephen Huddleston, and R Christopher Walton. “Switching Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Antagonists in Patients with Scleritis.” In INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Vol. 54, 2013.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- NC Medicaid Direct
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
- Alcon, Inc
- Bausch & Lomb, Inc.
- Carl Zeiss Meditec
- CorneaGen
- Dompe
- Rayner
- Sight Sciences
- Trukera Medical