“My duration of Fellowship at Retina Hospital was from April 2022 to August 2023, which has been my most productive time.”

Porwal Sir has a generous approach to teaching Retina and givea a friendly environment for discussions. I learnt the day-to-day intricacies of busy retina practice as well as professional and ethical handling of patients at RH. The Institute has world-class equipment in the field of retina with a new modern modular surgical suite.

Duringmy fellowship, witnessing the improvement of my patients with ever-ready sophisticated imaging enhanced my understanding manifold. I was given a high number of medical retina procedures like Retinal lasers, Anti-VEGF injections & implants for all possible retinal conditions including retinopathy of prematurity.

Surgical training was the highlight of this training which I feel is one of the best in this field. It started with small step-wise graded approach to full surgical retina cases of all varieties by the end of the fellowship. I am deeply grateful to my Guru Porwal Sir for making my Vitreo-Retina dream a pleasant reality.

“Make a wish and it comes true.” My wish of becoming a VR Surgeon came true by getting the opportunity of doing a fellowship from July ‘21 to December ‘22 at Retina Hospital under Dr. Mukesh Porwal.

During my tenure at RH, I was exposed to a gamut of Retina cases & learnt the practical management of all types of Retina cases. Porwal Sir was always ready to answer queries and share his experience as well as expertise. The working atmosphere at RH is pleasant with good staff trained to handle all the latest equipment in Retina.

RH is equipped with UWF imaging, OCTA, OCT, ERG & VEP, FFA, Pattern Retinal Laser, LIO, 25G MIVS with BIOM with every fellow getting a good exposure to all of them. I had the opportunity of giving numerous intravitreal injections of all types including the newest Brolucizumab & Dex implants.

The surgical training is excellent starting from the pre-op assessment, step-wise surgical upskilling & post-op follow-ups. I got the chance to do numerous Scleral buckles, Vitrectomies and handle umpteen complications of cataract surgeries. My sincere thanks to Sir for providing the stepping stones for me & many other aspiring Retina Surgeons.

“I am thankful to Dr. Mukesh Porwal Sir for giving me the opportunity to be under his mentorship and undergo Surgical and Medical Retina Fellowship from July 2020 to December 2021. He made me think, prepare well, and trained me in setting up a Vitreoretinal unit too. At RH I got a huge amount of exposure of patients with varied clinical conditions and presentations. I got to do lots of Fundus photography, OCT, OCTA, FFA, B-Scan & Ultrawidefield Retinal imaging.

I was exposed to the entire armamentarium of VR specialty ranging from Intravitreal injections, Lasers with all delivery systems (Pattern Slit lamp + LIO) and VR surgeries including Scleral buckle, Vitrectomy with all gauges (20, 23 & 25 G) for varied indications like RD, PDR, VH, Complications of cataract surgery (Endophthalmitis, Nucleus drop, IOL drop) & Silicone oil procedures.

I was made to actively participate & present in online VR webinars in the Covid era. Apart from VR skills Sir also taught me important soft skills, life skills required for successful & ethical VR practice and in building harmonious relationships with other ophthalmologists & referring surgeons.”

(Dr. Priti Jain is a dedicated spiritual follower of Bramhakumaris & has now started the Vitreo-Retina services at The Global Hospital & Research Centre in Abu soon after her Fellowship at Retina Hospital)

“I consider myself fortunate to be accepted in vireo-retina training program at Retina Hospital, Rajkot under the mentorship of Porwal Sir, for the whole of 2019 & the pre-coronavirus part of 2020.

I was given ample opportunities to perform investigations like FFA, USG, OCT and OCTA, this, along with regular discussion on case to case basis enhanced my understanding of various retinal pathologies. I got the chance to examine varied retinal conditions regularly in a busy clinic which improved my clinical skills as well as decision making on various complex treatment protocols.

During my fellowship I was also given the chance to attend and encouraged to participate in state and national conferences. I got to perform bountiful of retinal lasers with different delivery systems and intravitreal injections including Ozurdex implants.

Surgical training was way beyond my expectations and I consider it to be one of the highlights of this training program. Surgical training started with steps and simple procedure and within no time under the guidance of Sir, I found myself independently performing complex cases like diabetic vitrectomies, sclera buckling and membrane peelings. Dr. Porwal's rich experience, patient outlook and considerate behaviour make learning stress free and quick at Retina Hospital.”

“I consider myself privileged to be trained in Vitreo-Retina under Dr. Porwal Sir. The amount of exposure I got in medical and surgical retina is unimaginable.

TELL ME AND I FORGET, TEACH ME AND I MAY REMEMBER, INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN - Benjamin Franklin

Like this quote, here at RH, you are involved in every part of the patient treating process - starting from examination under sthe slit lamp to operating the patient under the microspcope. Dr. Porwal loves to answer the doubts and queries anytime anywhere. The skills I have acquired, I believe, I would be able to use back home for the benefit of the people of Sikkim.”

“I was lucky to be offered a Medical Retina Fellowship in the second half of 2019. It was a very good academic as well as hands-on experience for me. Right from the investigations like FFA, OCT & B-Scan, everything was discussed at length and these investigations were done by fellows as well. Medicsl Retina cases & topics were explained along with clinical examples and powerpoint presentations.

Hands-on training for Medical Retina including intravitreal injections, pan-retinal laser photocoagulation, sector laser photocoagulation, macular grid laser and barrage laser was taught adequately. Good cases seen during OPD hours were also discussed at length on the same day. Charting of peripheral retina was also taught.

Overall it was very nice clinical as well as academic experience in Retina Hospital under Porwal Sir giving me a good insight into various aspects of Medical Retina.”

“I would like to thank Dr. Porwal Sir for the opportunity & privilege to learn at Retina Hospital. The hospital sees diverse spectrum of retinal disease from common RDs, ARMDs, DRs & DMEs, RVOs, to specialized cases of Uveitis, ROP, rarer cases of Coats, Lymphoma, Hemangioma, and many more. In my fellowship period from late 2017 to mid-2019, I had ample opportunity to examine, counsel patients and follow their treatment plans.

The hospital has the latest OPD machines necessary for VR practice including USG, FFA, OCT with OCT-A, Autofluorescence, Perimetry, Pattern Retinal Laser. One gets to perform large number of lasers and intravitreal injections.

I got handsome surgical experience with numerous vitrectomies to rarer plain buckles. Surgical learning is gradual, starting from initial steps of easier surgeries & ending up in complete unassisted surgeries Perhaps also of importance was to learn when not to plan an intervention. One of advantages of the course is to get to know the working of a private setup.

Values that could be imbibed are continued gain of knowledge, dedication to improve efficiency, patience & politeness while dealing with patients, adaptation to newer technology, enjoying challenging surgical scenarios and a passion for sharing his knowledge acquired over 20 years of VR work experience.”

“I consider myself lucky to be accepted for the VR fellowship in Retina Hospital under a person and a surgeon like Dr. Porwal for one year in 2017. In a very busy Retina clinic i got the full time of discussion with a full attention to my questions, large number of daily patients with different diseases opened my mind in thinking and diagnosis of different diseases with common and uncommon presentations became easy.

The hospital is full equipped with all the retina modalities which i got very familiar with as USG, OCT, OCT-A, FFA and even visual fields. I had the chance to do different types of lasers (Slit lamp and LIO) for all the required retinal diseases , not only doing it was the great part but seeing the patients i did in the follow ups with the comments of Dr. Porwal directed me to adjust the parameters and be more confident. I had also the chance to give various types of IV injections including Ozurdex implant.

The surgical experience was extremely beyond my expectations with following up the patients made me know over time what to take care in during the surgery, i had the chance to do ALL types of retinal surgeries with 25G and 23G (diabetic vitrectomy, Retinal detachments, anterior segment complications, scleral buckle, macular surgery and trauma ) in a stepwise manner with the advantage of man-to-man training which let Dr. Porwal as a teacher know exactly the stage i was for careful and rapidly progress.

Overall experience is excellent, i feel very confident to manage retina cases without any observation. Many thanks to you Sir for all what you are doing to spread your knowledge and being always calm to let us get the full benefits of learning.”

“I was lucky to have the best teacher in my life. Thank you Dr Porwal for your guidance, friendship and even for your discipline. Thank you for creating an environment of enthusiasm for learning, appreciation for growing and room for making mistakes. I am truly overwhelmed by your indomitable spirit of generous teaching. Your love of learning has ignited our own curiosity and made learning of retina surgery much more fun!

Exposure of diversity of surgical retina cases and its post-operative management /follow up has made me truly confident in dealing with complicated Vitreo-Retina cases. I was lucky to perform supervised and independent surgical-retina cases which includes dropped nucleus and dropped IOL removal, metallic foreign body removal, scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, 23G/25G pars-plana vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous and tractional detachment, Vitreous haemorrhage, diabetic tractional membrane removal, Epiretinal membrane peeling, ILM peeling under brilliant blue dye, Giant Retinal tear repair with PFCL, Vitrectomy for Endophthalmitis & its management, basic and advanced PVR cases under chandelier and 27G Vitrectomy for macular hole surgery.”

“I am very grateful to have Dr. Porwal as a mentor during my Vitreo-Retina Fellowship. He has an excellent knowledge about the vitreo-retinal diseases. Best part of him is he has an extraordinary interest and patience for teaching and training new graduates in the difficult art of Retinal Surgery.

I got to do ample number of Laser photocoagulations (focal, grid, PRP) and all type of intravitreal injections including Ozurdex. I got good surgical exposure like Bucking surgery, Vitrectomies for Vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, anterior segment complications, as well as Vitreomacular traction, Epiretinal membranes and Macular holes.

Regularly got to see post-operative follow-ups, which boosted my confidence. I feel none of fellowship programmes can be better than this one at Retina Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat, India.”

“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is a one day with great teacher... This I realised while working with Dr. Mukesh Porwal whose skills, experience, expertise, extremely polite nature and most importantly the art of delivering knowledge as needed on different levels, makes him unique. ”

I got an exposure to learn and manage diversity of medical retina cases using FFA, OCT, OCT-Angiography, USG, Retinal Lasers with both Slit Lamp (Pattern Laser) and Indirect Ophthalmoscope, Intravitreal injections of Avastin, Accentrix, Eylea, Ozurdex and Triamcinolone. Although the period was short, this fellowship program has helped me immensely in improving my diagnosis and medical management of Retina cases.

I am highly grateful to Porwal Sir, for creating an environment of enthusiasm for learning, growing, acquiring knowledge and inculcating advanced skills. I am incredibly privileged to work at Retina Hospital under Dr. Porwal.

(Dr. Mabel Bishnoi in addition to being an accomplished ophthalmologist, is also a beauty-queen, a double finalist of Galaxy Mrs.India [Sep 2017] & Femina Mrs.India [Oct 2017])

“It's very well said "Experience is the best teacher" but for me having Dr. Porwal as my teacher has been the best experience. I was privileged and grateful to have him as my guide for Vitreo-retina fellowship during the period 2015-16. His dedication to teach, ethical and evidence based retinal care along with latest and sophisticated equipment and facilities at the hospital shaped me into a skilled Vitreo-retina specialist. The beauty of life is discovered through clear vision and I was fortunate to bring this beauty back to the patients by learning the principles of modern eye care technology and humanitarian healing. ”

“I got an opportunity to learn various diagnostic tools like FFA, OCT and ocular USG along with various medical Retina procedures like retinal lasers with slit lamp (Pattern laser) for various indications, laser with LIO, Intravitreal injections and intraocular implants on a routine basis in busy retina practice right from the start of the course. Surgical retina exposure was way beyond my expectations with good hands-on. I performed scleral buckling and micro-incision vitrectomy procedures on a routine basis with all Gauges (25G as a routine) for RD, PDR with TRD etc and even macular surgeries. All my doubts were patiently heard and answered by Sir. I was also given a platform to present various scientific papers, case reports, videos & posters at state conference and CMEs and opportunity to keep myself updated in recent and latest advances in the field of Vitreo-retina by attending Retina meetings and national conferences.”

“Apart from all this, I also learnt other important aspects like patient counseling and Dr Porwal was kind enough to give me some very useful clinical tips at the end of the course. No matter wherever I go ahead in my life, when I look back on this road, Retina Hospital is always going to be a memorable part of my Vitreo-retina journey.”

“I got the lifetime opportunity to undergo the vitreo-retinal surgery fellowship under Dr. Mukesh Porwal from March 2014 to Feb 2015. The program follows one-to-one model which actually makes it more focused and motivates you to be precise. I got to do all types of medical diagnostic modalities like fundus photography, FFA, OCT, USG etc. I was given the opportunity to perform all sorts of retinal laser (slit lamp, laser indirect ophthalmoscopy, focal laser) on the latest machines with pattern delivery systems and various intravitreal injections right from the start of my course.”

“I was lucky enough to perform various vitreoretinal surgeries from the oldest (20G) to the latest (27G) technology for various pathologies like RD, TRD in PDR, and even macular surgeries on the latest vitrectomy machines. I have got enough exposure in various uveitic conditions too. The whole course is stepwise so that the transition to the tougher levels is quite comfortable. His willingness to teach is evident even in the busiest of his schedules with full attention to my queries.”

“The good thing here is that the course is not only professional as I was helped initially to settle down in the city such as finding the accommodation and other basic amenities. Actually I felt like being at home rather that in an institution. I feel myself lucky to undergo this course under Porwal Sir, who gave me all the opportunities and the encouragement during this period (which is continuing even after the completion of the course), which transformed me into a competent and confident surgeon. Thanks Sir.”

“During 2013 and part of 2014 I did my fellowship in Retina Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Porwal where happily I had the honor and opportunity to not only be trained in surgical retina: scleral buckling and vitrectomy, but as different types of laser procedures (Laser Indirect Ophthalmoscope, Laser Slit Lamp), ultrasonography, perfecting the interpretation of diagnostic methods (FFA ,OCT) understanding both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and observing different pathologies.”

“I will always be very grateful for the willingness, patience and dedication to teach, explain and transmit and I will try to apply his logic, style and priorities in my practice for diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment in Argentina. I feel identified with his clinical school. And his is definitely my mentor in retina. I am proud to have had this experience that marked my life as it would be with anyone who really likes this science.”

“I think of myself lucky to have undergone an Advance Vitreo-Retina Surgical fellowship under Dr Mukesh Porwal in Retina Hospital, Rajkot from Nov 2012 to Dec 2013. I was given the exposure to perform FFA, OCT, USG, Intravitreal injections and all types of Lasers under full supervision that helped me refine my Medical retina skills meticulously. I have also learned almost all types of the practical surgical skills in the field of vitreo-retina in phased manner. I acquired good hands-on skills from simple scleral buckling surgery to all types of complex vitrectomies (20G, 23G, 25G) and macular surgery. It is a matter of pride for me that during fellowship I could present scientific papers and posters in state & national level under his guidance & apart from that I have learned so much when he organized 'Vista 2013' – The 41st All Gujarat Ophthalmological Conference in Rajkot. I have honestly never been inspired so much in simple, easy, effective and ethical way.”

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward

“I had a good training during the period of fellowship at Retina Hospital (in the second half of 2012)with many cases of Hands on surgery and also experienced the best training by using of the latest Vitrectomy machines, Constellation and BIOM. Especially, the ‘man to man training’ was so valuable to me. It was a special experience for me to have the various kinds of outpatients with surgery. The sharp and difficult questions always made me embarrassed but they gave me a good chance to learn. Besides, I appreciate having trained for various examinations and readings and having acquired a technique to see the ora serrata in the retina by using of Laser Indirect Ophthalmoscope and scleral depressor. I am so grateful indeed. For the retina fellowship program, it would be rare to find a hospital better than this Hospital, I think.”

“I have done my surgical vitreoretinal fellowship under Dr Mukesh Porwal Sir in Retina Hospital Rajkot in 2012. It was a wonderful experience, I was given hands on Laser both slit lamp and indirect laser for the first week itself. Dr Porwal Sir always saw the cases and gave the tips and advises to improve my laser. I was allowed to give intravitreal injections under his supervision form the first month and surgical training from first week. There were many hands on cases on daily basis which i was able to perform under Dr Porwal Sir’s guidance. In my fellowship i was given the opportunity for full surgical management for retinal detachments, advanced PDR, Double peeling, Plain buckling surgery etc. all under supervision. This fellowship program has helped me immensely in improving my diagnostic, medical and surgical management of Retina cases.”

“I had the chance to do a retina fellowship at the Retina Hospital, under Dr. Porwal's guidance in 2011. This is the place where I got almost all of the practical surgical skills in the field of vitreo-retinal surgery. I had the opportunity to learn from scleral buckling surgery to vitrectomies and macular surgery, with all the possible range of surgical instruments, on one of the best vitrectomy machines in the world at the moment. The cases I had the opportunity to see here comprised all the possible retinal pathology, and this gave me the opportunity to learn a lot of medical retina also. And most of all, I had the luck to find some really wonderful people which I call now friends.”

“I joined Dr. Porwal in Dec 2011 for a refresher fellowship in vitreoretinal surgical procedures. Although the period was short I gained a lot from the diversity of the cases Dr. Porwal handled in his very busy practice. His surgical skills inspired me. It was rewarding for me to come to his Retina Hospitalfrom USA. I enjoyed his company. He is a talented and skillful retina surgeon of the first class.”

“I feel really fortunate that i had the opportunity to work at Retina Hospital under Dr. Porwal. The hospital is very well equipped, well managed and above all very popular in Saurashtra for retinal management. After working in this hospital I got a lot of exposure to OCTs, FFA, USG of the eye, PRP and grid laser treatments and intravitreal injections. Also i got a chance to see variety of vitreo-retinal surgeries. Dr.Porwal is a really dedicated and competent retina specialist as well as a very good teacher and interested in academics.”

“I had the opportunity to be trained in vitreo-retinal surgery by Dr. Mukesh Porwal during a short term course in 2010. I met a very busy clinic, friendly staff and a very experienced ophthalmologist. Within a short time I have seen a lot of complicated vitreo-retinal cases at Retina Hospital in Rajkot. Under the supervision of Dr Mukesh I could perform the main steps of vitrectomy (putting the ports, core vitrectomy, vitrectomy in the periphery, induction of a posterior vitreous detachment, staining the vitreous, endolaser, exo-kryo and endophako). I also learned how to handle the BIOM. This course has definitely increased my knowledge and surgical skills. Moreover, Dr Porwal is an excellent teacher and pleasant person.”

“I had the opportunity to study retinal and vitreous diseases with Dr. Mukesh Porwal at his Rajkot hospital for nine weeks in 2008. It was a rewarding experience that allowed me to see a diverse array of severe eye diseases. This time of study definitely expanded my medical and surgical skills for which I am grateful. Currently I practice medicine in Eugene, Oregon, USA and am affiliated with the Mckenzie- Willamette Medical Center.”

“Dr. Porwal is so generous teaching and explaining all the procedures in the surgery room, also with lectures, and giving all the journals and web sites updates to help get the retina knowledge”

“I had the fortunate opportunity to work under Dr. Mukesh Porwal for several weeks.  My experience here was second to none.  We encountered an extremely busy clinic with various pathologies including advanced surgical cases on a routine bases.  It was very refreshing and rewarding to see Dr. Porwal handle these advanced surgical cases with great ease, grace and competence.  Moreover, Dr. Porwal is a excellent teacher and approaches his work with dedication and displays integrity at all times.”   

“I was fortunate to have worked with Dr. Porwal for 3 months on two separate occasions. The teaching tips and pearls were outstanding. There is an opportunity to observe & assist in extremely challenging surgical cases. The pathology I saw in one month in the medical retina clinic is similar to what I had seen over 2 years in training.  There is no other short term fellowship which can be this educational and rewarding. I highly recommend this for anyone who wishes to enhance their surgical skills or medical retina skills.”

“I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Mukesh Porwal in 2007 when I attended the Intensive Training Course in Basic Vitreo-Retinal Surgery at SSG Eye Institute. He was my Chief Instructor in the course, and I have always held him in high regard ever since.

Dr. Mukesh Porwal is a highly competent and skillful vitreo-retinal surgeon, besides being a truly capable teacher. He upholds a high standard of conduct and ethics at all times, as demanded by the medical profession. In person, he is pleasant and friendly, always ready to lend a helping hand. It is my pleasure and honour to commend him as an esteemed and excellent vitro-retinal surgeon.”

“Working with Dr. Porwal at the Gurukul Hospital, Rajkot was a great experience. The range in vitreo-retinal pathology provided many challenging cases. Dr.Porwal is highly competent, knowledgeable, and ethical in caring for his patients. In addition, Dr.Porwal is innovative and has contributed to the design of some instruments useful in vitreo-retinal surgery”

“I underwent short term training in medical retina at Retina Hospital under guidance of Dr Mukesh porwal in May 2008… i had exposure to wide array of retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy, age related macular degenerations, endophthalmitis, retinal detachments, post uveitis, etc… Hands on training was possible in indirect ophthalmoscopy, flourescein angiography, B scan ultrasonography, retinal laser, and intravitreal injections … even during a very short period”

“I have done my long term Vitreo - Retina Fellowship under Dr.Mukesh Porwal in 2006.I first met him as an Assistant Professor in 2001 when I joined MS (Ophthal) in M.P. Shah Medical College, Jamnagar. And from there I developed interest in Retina while working under him. So I can say that he is my mentor in VR from the very first day of post-graduation. He is not only a very good teacher but also a very good human being. Today whatever I have achieved professionally, the credit goes to him. Thank you Sir for being there whenever I call you.”