Adult Retina

The Retina Group of Washington (RGW), the largest and one of the most accomplished retinal and macular care practices in the country, offers the most sophisticated medical treatment and surgical management—and comprehensive patient care—of adult retinal diseases. RGW’s collective experience and expertise is unsurpassed; our physicians have been innovators in the treatment of adults with retinal disease in the Washington metropolitan area since the 1970’s.

Our practice has participated in many of the landmark studies of new therapies for the medical and surgical treatment of adult retinal diseases. We continue to contribute to the relevant medical science by taking part in multi-centered studies, making presentations at national and international retina symposia and conferences and writing for publications in peer-reviewed literature. RGW collaborates with retinal colleagues across the country—and around the world—discussing the latest technological advancements and surgical techniques that have the potential to improve patient treatment and care.

The wide range of retinal and macular diseases we diagnose and treat is a function of the sub-specialty expertise of our highly trained physicians. Here is a partial list:

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Retinal detachments and tears
• Diabetic retinopathy and other ocular complications of diabetes
• Macular holes, puckers and edema
• Complications of cataract, glaucoma and other ocular surgery
• Ocular trauma
• Myopic macular degeneration
• Sickle cell retinopathy
• Central serous retinopathy
• Endophthalmitis (intraocular infections)
• Retinal vascular occlusive disease (retinal artery and retinal vein occlusions)
• Retinitis and chorioretinitis
• Uveitis
• Hereditary retinal degenerations (i.e., retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt’s disease)

No matter how common a clinical condition may be, we approach each patient with the same problem-solving perspective and provide the highest level of individual attention and compassionate care. Our breadth of experience and collective expertise allow us to utilize the latest medical knowledge and treatment techniques appropriate for each situation.

Pediatric Retina

The diagnosis and treatment of childhood retinal diseases has been at the heart of The Retina Group of Washington's (RGW) mission since we founded the retina clinic at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) in the 1970's. Our physicians have been at the forefront of identifying and treating ophthalmologic disorders in children for more than 40 years, both at the CNMC and at other hospitals and facilities throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

A number of RGW doctors continue to provide medical and surgical pediatric care for youngsters suffering from retinal disease. Four of our physicians — Michael M. Lai, MD, PhD; Aziz A. Khanifar, MD; Daniel M. Berinstein, MD and Reginald J. Sanders, MD — currently maintain active pediatric retina practices. The vast majority of premature infants in the D.C. region treated for retinopathy of prematurity over the past four decades have been our patients.

Many of our physicians have served as investigators of landmark pediatric retina studies and are active in pediatric retina trials and study groups. They have built on years of collective experience to offer the latest in the diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment, and ongoing evaluation of all pediatric retinal diseases. That extensive list includes:

• Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP): acute and late effects
• Neonatal vitreous hemorrhage
• Juvenile retinal detachment
• Ocular trauma, traumatic retinal detachment and choroidal rupture
• Persistent fetal vascular syndrome
• Juvenile (X-linked) retinoschisis
• Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) and congenital retinal fold
• Coats disease and other causes of serous retinal detachment
• Retinal vascular malformations including von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, cavernous hemangioma and racemose hemangioma
• Benign and malignant pediatric retinal tumors including retinoblastoma, retinocytoma, combined hamartoma, choroidal osteoma and choroidal nevus
• Retinal abnormalitites and malformations associated with chromosomal/genetic syndromes and defects
• Optic nerve anomalies, including optic pit and morning glory disc
• Inflammatory and infectious diseases affecting the retina and choroid in children
• Neovascularization of the retina and choroid, as in sickle cell disease/trait, juvenile-onset diabetes, Eales disease, etc.

At The Retina Group of Washington, infant, toddler and teenage patients alike are given the most comprehensive medical care while their families receive unsurpassed support from our caring and compassionate staff. Through our years of experience, surgical skills and extramural relationships, we are uniquely qualified to provide the latest and most appropriate treatment for infants and children with retinal diseases, disorders and detachments.