Mr Karthikappallil qualified as a doctor from the Madras University in 1986, and as an ophthalmologist after a further 2 years' training at The Madras Medical College. He obtained a Diploma in Ophthalmology in 1989 from the Madras University.
He arrived in the UK in 1990, and in 1992 obtained the FRCS Ophthalmology from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. He trained as a registrar in Ophthalmology at the Tennants Institute of Ophthalmology in Glasgow from1992-95, and undertook a mini fellowship in vitreo-retinal surgery at the Royal Manchester Eye Hospital in 2002.
From 1995-2002 Mr Karthikappallil was locum NHS Consultant in Ophthalmology at The Stonehouse Hospital, Lanarkshire, The Whitehaven Hospital, Cumbria and The Royal Oldham Hospital, Oldham.
As at August 2004 he has performed more than 3000 LASIK and LASEK laser eye surgery procedures, including 650 wavefront-guided LASIK laser eye surgery procedures, which use customised laser ablation to correct refractive errors.
As well as his laser eye surgery experience, he has performed over 3,000 sutureless phaco-emulsification cataract extraction and intra-ocular lens (IOL) implantations, as well as trabeculectomies for glaucoma, squint surgeries and laser treatment for diabetic retinopathies, retinal tears and retinal vascular accidents. He has also carried out a number of clear lens extractions for high refractive errors, where laser eye surgery procedures are inappropriate. Mr Karthikappallil regularly takes part in international meetings and presents research papers, the most recent being at the ASCRS meeting at San Diego USA, in May 2004. In August 2004 he presented Ultralase's latest wavefront-guided LASIK laser eye surgery results at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) and he is also a member of both the American and European Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Mr Karthikappallil joined Ultralase in 2003 and has performed over 14,200 laser eye surgery procedures.