2022 Gillingham Pan-American Fellowship Experience:
Miguel N. Cruz Pimentel MD
15 Sept 2023
From July 2021 to July 2023, I was awarded a Gillingham scholarship to complete my training in vitreous-retinal surgery at the University of Toronto in the program directed by Dr. Efrem Mandelcorn, thanks to the support I received from Retina Research Foundation and the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation.
My training allowed me to learn multiple surgical techniques for managing vitreous-retinal pathologies. I performed more than 600 retinal surgeries to treat retinal detachments, macular holes, epiretinal membranes, diabetic retinopathy, and the removal of intraocular foreign bodies, among other retina disorders.
Outside the operating room I provided in-office care to hundreds of patients with retinal vascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, vein occlusions, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.
Something that I appreciated about this training was the opportunity to manage hundreds of patients with retinal detachment through pneumatic retinopexy. This technique allows rapid treatment of this pathology, thus avoiding visual loss secondary to the degeneration of photoreceptor cells. During my training, I had the opportunity to perform hundreds of pneumatic retinopexies.
Miguel N. Cruz Pimentel MD
Santiago, Dominican Republic
In the operating room with Dr. Efrem Mandelcorn during a vitrectomy case
Checking the patient eye fundus during a scleral buckle surgery for retinal detachment at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
Performing a scleral buckle surgery for retinal detachment at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, with Dr. Kenneth Eng
Performing a scleral buckle surgery for retinal detachment at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, with Dr. Kenneth Eng
During these two years, I also had the opportunity to participate in multiple research projects that resulted in the publication of several articles in indexed journals, being able to publish more than ten publications, some as first author. I participated as an author in the writing of 3 chapters for three books on the following topics: Susac Syndrome, Drainage of Hemorrhagic Choroidal Detachment, Systemic Medication Retinal Toxicity and Side Effects.
Complementing the surgical and clinical part with the research part is something that, although it requires a lot of time and effort, I enjoy. I plan to continue achieving this balance throughout my professional career as an academic.
- Cruz-Pimentel M, Mehraban Far P, Brent MH, Yan P. Massive Spontaneous Suprachoroidal Hemorrhage in a Patient With Type 1 Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2022;6(3):214-220. Published 2022 May 25. doi:10.1177/24741264221074799
- Cruz-Pimentel M, Huang CY, Wu L. Scleral Buckling: A Look at the Past, Present and Future in View of Recent Findings on the Importance of Photoreceptor Re-Alignment Following Retinal Re-Attachment. Clin Ophthalmol. 2022;16:1971-1984. Published 2022 Jun 16. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S359309
- Pimentel MC, Felfeli T, Mandelcorn E. Comments on “Scleral Transillumination With Digital Heads-Up Display: A Novel Technique for Visualization During Vitrectomy Surgery”. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2022;53(12):718-719. doi:10.3928/23258160-20220920-02
- Zaslavsky K, Grewal PS, Cruz-Pimentel M, Qian J, Derzko-Dzulynsky L, Yan P. ENDOGENOUS FUNGAL ENDOPHTHALMITIS FOLLOWING COVID-19 INFECTION: CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE [published online ahead of print, 2022 Jul 29]. Retin Cases Brief Rep. 2022;10.1097/ICB.0000000000001306. doi:10.1097/ICB.0000000000001306
- Pereira A, Aldrees S, Pimentel MC, Yan P. Updated review: optical coherence tomography findings of the pachychoroid disease spectrum. Can J Ophthalmol. 2023;58(1):e33-e35. doi:10.1016/j.jcjo.2022.06.014
- Cruz-Pimentel M, Kohly RP. Subretinal drusenoid deposits and bilateral capillary peripheral occlusion in a patient with dyskeratosis congenita. Can J Ophthalmol. 2023;58(3):e126-e128. doi:10.1016/j.jcjo.2022.11.012
- Daud F, Daud K, Popovic MM, et al. Combined versus Sequential Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Phacoemulsification for Macular Hole and Epiretinal Membrane: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Ophthalmol Retina. 2023;7(8):721-731. doi:10.1016/j.oret.2023.03.017
- Sverdlichenko I, Lim M, Popovic MM, Pimentel MC, Kertes PJ, Muni RH. Postoperative positioning regimens in adults who undergo retinal detachment repair: A systematic review. Surv Ophthalmol. 2023;68(1):113-125. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2022.09.002
- Mihalache A, Hatamnejad A, Patil NS, et al. Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for diabetic macular edema and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion: a meta-analysis [published online ahead of print, 2023 Aug 14]. Ophthalmologica. 2023;10.1159/000533443. doi:10.1159/000533443
- Cruz-Pimentel M, Wu L. Complement Inhibitors for Advanced Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Geographic Atrophy): Some Light at the End of the Tunnel?. J Clin Med. 2023;12(15):5131. Published 2023 Aug 4. doi:10.3390/jcm12155131
- SURGICAL PEARL VIDEO. Two-trocar approach to endophthalmitis. A minimalist technique for enhancing surgical outcomes for acute endophthalmitis in pseudophakic eyes. Miguel Cruz-Pimentel, MD, Efrem D Mandelcorn, MD, FRCSC. Retina Specialist May 22, 2023.
Through these two years, I could attend meetings to present surgical cases and interact with other fellows from North America. Here are some of the meetings that I attended.
- Vit Buckle Society, Las Vegas 2022 (Surgical video presentation, podium)
- Fellows Forum 2022 (Surgical video presentation, podium. Award: Champion 2022, Fellows Fighting at the Forum)
- Retina Case Conference Canada (2022) (Case Presentation)
4. Canadian Retina Society 2023 (Surgical Video presentation, Masters of Disasters session)
Presenting a surgical case at the 10th Annual Vit Buckle Meeting in Las Vegas, March 2022
Presenting at the Fellows Forum 2022, Chicago. Fellows Fighting at the Forum Competition
After winning the competition at the Fellows Forum, with Carl Shan and Andres Aqueveveque fellows from other Canadian programs
Despite the intensity of my training, I also had the opportunity to get involved in multiple educational activities to contribute to the education of residents both at the University of Toronto and in other Latin American countries, including Costa Rica and my own country, the Dominican Republic, where in I was able to organize a course on the management of Retinal and Choroid Vascular Pathologies, together with Dr. Remberto Escoto, MD, PhD a prominent retinal specialist in my country, this course was attended by medical students, ophthalmology residents and retinal specialists. In Costa Rica, I had the opportunity to present and discuss cases online for ophthalmology residents with Dr. Lihteh Wu, a teaching exercise that I enjoyed and treasured as a valuable experience.
Moderating a question-and-answer session with Prof. Kazuaki Kadonosono, MD, PhD, during the course in Santo Domingo
At end of the conference at Centro de Diagnóstico y Medicina Avanzada y Telemedicina in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic next to one of my mentors Dr. Remberto Escoto, MD PhD
I also had the opportunity to get involved in teaching residents at the University of Toronto, which included wet labs performing scleral buckling and pneumatic retinopexy courses. During my graduation ceremony, I was awarded a recognition for my dedication to teaching residents at the University of Toronto. This recognition motivated me to reaffirm my commitment to educating new generations in ophthalmology.
I would like to finish this report by thanking the Gillingham Scholarship, the selection committee of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology and the Retina Research Foundation for the financial support provided to me during the period of my fellowship. This support has reaffirmed my decision to pursue a career as an academic professor in the field of retinal diseases.
Currently, I am undergoing training in pediatric retina surgery and hereditary retinal diseases to continue contributing to the field of ophthalmology and the training of new ophthalmologists.
Miguel Cruz Pimentel, MD
Gillingham Fellow 2021-2023
Receiving the Lim Family Memorial Award from Dr. Efrem Mandelcorn. Excellence in clinical, surgical and interpersonal skills. Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, 2023