an interview with

Maria H. Berrocal, MD, FASRS

Few stories in our field are as unique as that of the Berrocal’s, a multigenerational retina tour de force. In this Leaders & Legends segment, Maria Berrocal, MD, FASRS, daughter of the late Jose Berrocal, MD, an internationally renowned retina pioneer who was the first retina surgeon in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, shares stories about her extraordinary upbringing during which she and her sister Audina, an internationally recognized retina surgeon in her own right, mingled with a who’s who of retina giants and witnessed the evolution of the field from scleral buckling to OCT and microincision surgery. She discusses her educational journey in the United States and her decisions to return to Puerto Rico to work alongside her father. Dr. Berrocal discusses her passion for innovating new techniques and surgical approaches to managing complex ocular disease. A highly respected researcher and educator, she has performed live surgery in more than 25 countries and has blazed a trail for women and minorities in ophthalmology.