Dr. Mark Jank to retire after 35 years with Ocala Eye
Dr. Mark A. Jank, an ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon, plans to retire next month after 35 years with Ocala Eye.
Jank, 70, will leave his practice having changed the lives of at least 28,000 patients with procedures lasting from 20 minutes to an hour or more.
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“Eyesight is the most precious of the special senses (and) I‘ve devoted my life to my patients’ eye care,” Jank said. Jank said when he was in the military and choosing which field of medicine to practice he decided upon ophthalmology mostly because he could work directly with patients in a positive way.
Jank said looking back he has seen many changes in eye surgery, including less invasive cataract surgery and the use of lasers. He said lenses are flexible, multifocal and more easily implanted. He remarked on spearheading the building of the Ocala Eye Surgery Center.
Sandy Fuller, retired educator, nurse and wife of the late Dr. Tom Fuller of the Ocala Kidney Group, had cataract and LASIK surgery performed by Jank three years ago.
Fuller said her vision was in the range of 20/300 and now is in the range of 20/30 following the procedures which also included an IOL or intraocular lens implant.
“Dr. Jank is very skilled. You can talk to him,” Fuller said.
Fuller said she no longer has to deal with eyeglasses while working in her yard or at the beach and may use reading glasses only when confronted with extremely fine print.
She no longer has to take eye drops - which she had been taking for over 10 years - to get relief from glaucoma pressure on her eyes.
All about Dr. Jank
Jank was born in Buffalo, New York, and his family moved to Tampa when he was 5. He said he was drawn toward medicine or law and chose medicine.
According to his biography at the Ocala Eye website, ocalaeye.com, Jank graduated from Johns Hopkins University (1979) and then joined the U.S. Air Force and attended the University of Miami School of Medicine.
He performed internal medicine and ophthalmology residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
As an Air Force physician, Jank received a letter of commendation for putting ophthalmology training for Air Force emergency room personnel into effect and he was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Service Award in 1988 for improving cataract procedures.
He was named a special consultant on ophthalmology to the surgeon general.
Dr. Jank joined Ocala Eye in 1988
Jank joined Ocala Eye in July 1988, the website states. By 1994 the practice was operating with four doctors, and Ocala Eye now has at least 10 doctors on staff.
Jank met his wife, Sharon, who was in the radiology field, in a chance meeting at an Orlando Magic basketball game in 1995. They married in 1999.
Sharon Jank explained Mark suffered from throat cancer after they met and they had to put plans on hold for a time.
The Janks have a daughter, Molly, a bone cancer survivor who is now cancer free.
The couple have a blended family of five children and one grandchild, Tennessee Stone, 5.
"Mark was treated at UF Health Shands and he is cancer free. That is why we volunteered for the UF Health Cancer Center and I was president of the Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research. We’ve spent (our lives) raising money for cancer research. Mark, Molly and myself were all treated at Shands and (we are) cancer free. I had breast cancer 2014,” Sharon Jank stated in a text message.
Mark Jank is a staunch Hurricanes sports fan and University of Miami supporter. Mark and Sharon enjoy Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, Tampa Bay Lighting hockey and Tampa Bay Rays baseball games, and Mark Jank likes saltwater fishing.
Mark Jank is one of the founders of the Country Club of Ocala, Sharon Jank explained.
The couple enjoys travel and have toured countries including England, Ireland and Greece. They plan to move to a beachfront home in Clearwater in early April.
Dr. Jank's expertise
Jank’s expertise “includes LASIK and conductive keratoplasty (CK) for the correction of advanced refractive errors,” according to Ocala eye.com, with “special interest in complicated intraocular problems faced by patients who have had trauma or previous unsuccessful surgery."
Jank was at the forefront of using IOLs, or intraocular lens implants, to correct vision on patients with cataracts.
The Ocala Eye website states lenses are available now to correct near and far vision to allow the patient freedom from wearing eyeglasses.
Sharon Jank said manufacturers like Alcon and Bausch+Lomb, both makers of lenses including IOL, or intraocular implants, depended upon her husband to learn about the newest technology and share the information here.
Bausch+Lomb has an “extensive selection of eye surgery equipment that’s used to perform cataract, refractive and retinal procedures, as well as intraocular lenses (IOLs), which are implanted inside the eye to replace the eye's natural lens during cataract surgery,” according to Bausch.com.
Jank was known to some for his humorous socks including a ”Stars and Stripes” pair that he wears on the 4th of July.
Dr. Prabhakar Rumalla with Gastroenterology Associates of Ocala, had IOLs implanted in both eyes about 10 years ago by Jank.
“He did an excellent job,” Rumalla said.
Rumalla said he “absolutely” relies upon his vision as a doctor. He enjoys golfing and can play without glasses, which he usually only wears for computer screen reading.
Rumalla said Jank was “very thorough“ in explaining the procedure and risks before the procedure, which took 90 minutes, including prep time.
Rumalla said he would “highly recommend” Jank as an eye surgeon.
Prabhakar Rumalla’s son Bobby, 53, a local attorney, had LASIK surgery performed about 15 years ago and cataract surgery three years ago. Both were performed by Jank.
Bobby Rumalla described Jank as “patient and very personable.” He said Jank explained every step of the procedure and what to expect with exacting detail and accuracy.
“I have a lot of respect for him. I have worked with perhaps 20,000 clients to date in my practice, including jury trials, and I rely heavily on reading complicated reports and reviewing videos,” he said. “I trust him 150%. He is a revolutionary pioneer.”
“People see because of Dr. Mark Jank,” Bobby Rumalla said.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala Eye's Dr. Mark Jank is set to retire after 35 years
