WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Ananth Sastry, MD, grew up in Tampa, Florida, with his younger sister. They were fortunate to be raised by loving and supportive parents who encouraged them to pursue their dreams. In grade school, Dr. Sastry had a wide range of interests, which included science, literature, philosophy, music, chess, and martial arts. However, his love for science ultimately prevailed and led him to medicine.
HIS PATH TO RETINA
As an undergraduate studying ophthalmic immunohistochemistry in the lab of Jeffrey Goldberg, MD, PhD, Dr. Sastry became fascinated by the structure and function of the retina and how each layer plays a role in visual physiology. This interest was nurtured in medical school, when he witnessed the elegance of retinal surgery during his ophthalmology rotation.
His love for retina was solidified in residency through his interactions with Mark Humayun, MD, PhD. His inventive work, which fused engineering and medicine to create the Argus II retinal prosthetic (Second Sight Medical Products), inspired Dr. Sastry to pursue a career in retina and fostered his interest in innovation.
Dr. Sastry’s Advice: Continue to grow, learn, and evolve even after fellowship. Discuss cases with colleagues and attend meetings to get varying perspectives. Keep an open mind and try new ideas, techniques, and technology.
SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY
Dr. Sastry’s parents are his most important mentors and guiding lights. His father, a cardiothoracic surgeon, taught him the virtues of hard work, discipline, persistence, and integrity. His mother, a small business owner, instilled in him the values of compassion, empathy, and sincerity.
In college and medical school, Dr. Goldberg introduced him to ophthalmology through basic science and imbued in him a deep love of scientific inquiry. Anat Galor, MD, and Chrisfouad Alabiad, MD, were also instrumental in Dr. Sastry’s path to pursuing an ophthalmology residency.
In residency, Vivek Patel, MD, showed him how an exemplary physician can grow through the constant pursuit of mastery in one’s field. Damien Rodger, MD, PhD, and Narsing Rao, MD, were both very supportive of Dr. Sastry’s pursuit of a surgical retina fellowship and inspired his interest in uveitis.
In fellowship, Sharon Fekrat, MD; Cynthia A. Toth, MD; and Lejla Vajzovic, MD, helped Dr. Sastry grow tremendously as a surgeon and aspiring clinician-scientist. Their support in his career development has been invaluable.
AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER
Dr. Sastry recently cared for an artist who had severe diabetic retinopathy and had lost vision in each eye, one of which had a complex tractional retinal detachment. Due to her disability, she was no longer able to create and sell her art, which was her livelihood. After undergoing bilateral surgery, she recovered her vision and was able to paint again. At her last follow-up visit with Dr. Sastry, she informed him that she had sold out her latest art show and gifted him with a beautiful painting that she had made after recovering from her surgery.
