Dean Carlson, M.D.

Dr. Dean Carlson is a board-certified comprehensive ophthalmologist with subspecialty training in the medical and surgical management of glaucoma from the University of Iowa. He has practiced in Colorado Springs for 25 years following service in the Air Force as an ophthalmologist. He has over 30 years of surgical experience, and while no longer performing intraocular surgeries, he continues to treat glaucoma patients with complicated glaucoma utilizing medications and laser treatments, including Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) and Diode Laser Photocoagulation.

Dr. Carlson is honored to have been selected by his medical peers to Colorado Springs Top Doctors 6 times, and continuously from year 2016 through year 2020. He was instrumental in combining many eye surgical specialists into one location at Pinnacle Eye Center in 2013 and forming Pinnacle Surgery Center within that same building. Today, over 10,000 laser and surgical eye procedures are performed yearly at Pinnacle Surgery Center.

Dr. Carlson grew up in Minnesota and came to Colorado to enroll at the Air Force Academy. He returned to Minnesota to attend Mayo Medical School but knew he would someday call Colorado home, which he did in 1994. He has been married to Debbie since 1982 and has three grown children and 4 grandchildren. He is an avid golfer and skier and loves the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. He has volunteered on several medical mission trips to Mexico, Honduras and Peru. He is a past 6-year volunteer school board member for Atlas Preparatory School, a Charter School in Colorado Springs District 2 that offers a rigorous academic program, character development and community involvement to its lower-income students in grades K-12.