Ivan Castillo, MD, joined Texas Retina Associates in 2017 to lead our Waco office. He came to us from Bakersfield, California, where he worked at the Retina Institute of California.
Dr. Castillo completed his fellowship in vitreo-retinal surgery at Retina & Vitreous of Texas in Houston. Before that, he completed a research fellowship in glaucoma at the Medical College of Virginia. Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Castillo sees patients in our Waco office and welcomes Spanish-speaking patients.
Where are you from? I was born in Bogota, Colombia, where I first became an ophthalmologist. I served in the Colombian Air Force as both a flight surgeon and an ophthalmologist prior to moving to the United States. I have been practicing medicine for 30 years.
Why did you choose to become a retina specialist? I became a physician to help people. I then chose ophthalmology because the eye is a different world from the rest of the body, and that has always fascinated me. I trained to become a vitreo-retinal surgeon because the retina is such a complex part of the eye and serves as a window to a patient’s entire health. Through my work, I like to encourage my patients to take care of their health and to show them that they can count on me to help them do so.
What brought you to Texas Retina Associates? My wife and I love Texas, and Texas Retina Associates is so well-respected throughout the country that I was happy to join the group and return to Texas. I especially enjoy living in and serving the Waco community. I like the friendliness and kindness of my patients and staff.
What do you enjoy most outside of work? I follow military history and aviation, and I also like to travel.
Learn more about Ivan G. Castillo, MD.