✦ Inside the Operating Theatre, Swarnjyoti Eye Hospital
ZEISS Microscope · Alcon Constellation · RESIGHT BIOM
An elite, one-on-one advanced vitreoretinal surgical training program. Designed for fellowship-trained ophthalmologists who demand mastery.
The STAR Fellowship is a premium, fully bespoke advanced surgical training program at Swarnjyoti Eye Hospital, one of North India's leading vitreoretinal centres. Unlike batch programs, STAR accepts only one fellow at a time, ensuring every OT session, every case discussion, every teaching moment is yours.
The program is open to fellowship-trained ophthalmologists at any post-fellowship stage. Whether you finished training recently or are a few years into independent practice looking to level up, the curriculum is shaped around your specific surgical goals.
Fellows attend OT sessions three days a week, participate in OPD surgical planning clinics, and are welcome to join Thursday outstation visits to affiliated retina clinics, including two centres with full surgical setups.
The number of cases, particularly complete, independently performed cases, is strictly dependent on the caliber, preparedness, and surgical confidence of the candidate. The stipulated case numbers represent the number of surgical opportunities provided, not a guarantee of completion.
The program does not guarantee that a candidate will complete any given case in its entirety. Whether a candidate completes a case depends entirely on how safely and confidently they are able to execute each surgical step. Patient safety is always the absolute priority.
It is assumed that candidates joining the STAR Fellowship have a working knowledge of the basic steps of vitreoretinal surgery, including case initiation and closure, so that the fellowship can focus on the crucial steps in complex retinal conditions where meaningful skill advancement is sought.
The mentor will be present and guiding at every step throughout all surgical cases. This is a supervised training environment at all times.
| 01 | Macular Hole Surgery | ILM peeling technique, tamponade selection, positioning protocols, small-gauge approaches, and challenging anatomies including myopic and traumatic holes. | Core |
| 02 | Diabetic Vitrectomy | Fibrovascular membrane delamination, cutter-assisted dissection, bimanual techniques, haemostasis strategies, and combined phaco-vitrectomy. | Core |
| 03 | Retinal Detachment | Rhegmatogenous RD, giant retinal tears, primary and re-detachment surgery, scleral buckle integration, PFCL use. | Core |
| 04 | Complex & Tractional Detachments | Tractional RD in diabetics, combined TRD/RRD, staged surgical planning, and management of re-proliferation. | Advanced |
| 05 | Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy | Membrane dissection, retinectomy, PFCL-assisted techniques, and long-term tamponade decision-making in complex PVR. | Advanced |
| 06 | Traumatic VR Surgery | IOFB removal, iris shelf technique, ruptured globe management, traumatic macular holes, and post-traumatic RD repair. | Advanced |
Curriculum customised to your goals and case availability.
* The opportunity to perform surgeries is strictly dependent on the availability of cases at the time of the fellowship, and on the surgical acumen of the candidate.
One fellow is accepted at a time. Check availability below and apply early to secure your preferred dates.
DM @drdivakantmisra to enquire about a specific slot.
Completing the STAR Fellowship is not the end, it is the beginning of a lifelong association. The vision behind STAR goes beyond surgical training. It is to build a worldwide community of STAR Fellows, surgeons who have trained together, learned together, and continue to grow together.
Fellows become part of an exclusive global network of vitreoretinal surgeons bound by a shared standard of excellence. Regular virtual case discussions, annual CMEs, and collaborative publication opportunities ensure that the learning never stops after the fellowship ends.
The goal is simple: to create a community where every STAR Fellow, whether in Lucknow, Kanpur, Algiers, or Casablanca, has a peer group they can reach out to, learn from, and contribute to.
Fill the application form with your fellowship background, approximate VR case numbers, preferred start date, duration, and surgical goals. We respond within 48 hours.
Direct Contact
✉ divakant@gmail.com
📞 +91 70021 80323