My first exposure to ophthalmology as a medical student was in pediatric retina, and I never looked back. There are many challenges, yet even more rewards, in treating children with retinal conditions.
The surgeries are technically challenging and require extreme precision. Pediatric retinal surgeries require creativity and thinking outside the box, and the usual tenets of adult surgery can take you down the wrong path. Not only are the eyes smaller, but the anatomic proportions are different, and you’re working with a whole different set of diseases. Also, not only are you treating the child in front of you, but the parents require healing as well.
The rewards are many. Being able to diagnose and treat genetic conditions for an entire family can save the vision of generations to come, or telling a mother that her baby will be able to see - there’s nothing better than that.
At Wills Eye Hospital and Mid Atlantic Retina, we take care of a tremendous volume of complex surgical patients, both adults and children. My partners and I work with a world class team dedicated to one singular mission: to save vision.
From the Desk of Dr. Yoshihiro Yonekawa
Dr. Yoshihiro Yonekawa is an adult and pediatric retina specialist. He received his MD with honors from Weill Cornell Medical College, where he was recognized with the Edward Norton Award in Ophthalmology and grants from Fight for Sight and the National Eye Institute. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Harvard Medical School, and received many awards for his clinical and research expertise, including those from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Dr. Yonekawa subsequently underwent specialized fellowship training in adult and pediatric retina surgery at Associated Retinal Consultants, William Beaumont Hospital. He received prestigious national awards during fellowship from the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation, Ronald G. Michels Foundation, and the Retina Society. Dr. Yonekawa treats both adults and children with conditions of the retina. He is committed to restoring and maintaining vision to improve the quality of life for his patients.
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