Dr. Eric Guglielmo Joins Dr. Frank Venzara III and Dr. Timothy Tweito at Florida Retina Specialists
By Maria Sonnenberg // October 16, 2024
Dr. Guglielmo is a board-certified ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon
Related Story:Florida Retina Specialists Provides World-Class Comprehensive Medical and Surgical Retinal Eye Care
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Florida Retina Specialists is bustling with added promise for its patients, with the introduction of an additional experienced specialist to its medical team, as well as with the options of exciting new medications and treatments for dry macular degeneration.
Dr. Eric Guglielmo recently joined Dr. Frank Venzara III and Dr. Timothy Tweito in the busy practice with offices in Merritt Island and Viera.
A board-certified ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon, Dr. Guglielmo specializes in a variety of medical and surgical conditions of the retina and vitreous including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment repair, endophthalmitis, uveitis and retinal vascular diseases.
His background is unique, for Dr. “G,” as his patients call him, was an educator before joining the healing profession of medicine. This Georgia Bulldog earned a master’s degree in English education and taught high school English in an Inuit village by the Bering Strait in Alaska before veering to a very different career path and to a very different – and warmer – state.
He completed a post-baccalaureate pre-med program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks before attending the University of Nevada School of Medicine, where he was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society in recognition of having the highest grade point average in the medical school.
Additional kudos included Outstanding Medical Student in Biochemistry, Outstanding Medical Student in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Outstanding Medical Student in Neurosciences.
Dr. Guglielmo interned at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, and completed his ophthalmology residency at Oklahoma City’s Dean McGee Eye Institute, one of the top-ranked programs in the country. He finished fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery at the West Virginia Eye Institute.
Before joining Florida Retinal Specialists, Dr. Guglielmo, served on the staff of the Spokane Eye Clinic, one of the largest ophthalmological practices in Washington, performing thousands of surgeries during his 11 years of service. He has been an investigator in several large nationwide clinical trials for newly developed retinal treatments.
Florida Retina Associates has also recently introduced state-of-the-art treatments for Geographic Atrophy, or GA, progressive, irreversible, advanced form of dry, age-related macular degeneration(AMD).
With GA, the retina essentially dies, or atrophies, creating patches of lesions, aka dead cells, that cause irreversible vision loss. The progression of the disorder occurs subtly.
“Your GA progression may be happening faster than you think,” said Dr. Guglielmo.
It may start with blurriness or blank spots in the field of vision, lines that should look straight instead looking wavy or crooked, washed-out colors and difficulty seeing at night or in low light. In less than two years, 67 percent of individuals with GA lose the ability to drive. In less than three years, GA can spread to the fovea, the part of the eye responsible for the sharpest vision.
Slowing the progression of lesions caused by GA helps slow damage. Izervay and Syfovre, both FDA-approved injections, slow the progression of GA.
These drugs, both approved in 2023, work by reducing the immune response to prevent damage to retinal cells. Both drugs have demonstrated efficacy and safety in clinical trials and both Izervay and Syfovre represent significant advancements in treating GA secondary to AMD, and both slow GA progression and preserve vision.
Unfortunately, they do not cure GA or reverse its past damage, but they do reduce the rate of damage of Geographic Atrophy.
These medications differ in a few ways, particularly in dosing schedules. Izervay often requires monthly or bi-monthly injections, whereas Syfovre is administered every 25 to 60 days.
The decision to use these medications should be made after a comprehensive ophthalmological consultation.
“Your doctor can help you decide,” Dr. Guglielmo said.
By combining the compassionate healing of Drs. Venzara, Tweito and Guglielmo with the latest medications, technology and treatment modalities at offices that are never far from patients’ homes, Florida Retina Specialists is the go-to practice for any issue affecting the retina, that amazing, precious part of the eye that helps us see all the magnificent things around us, from the faces of our loved ones to the many wonders of our world.
“Our goal is to provide the highest quality retina care to our patients, along with a humble-servant attitude,” said Dr. Venzara.
Florida Retina Specialists currently has offices at 280 N. Sykes Creek Pkwy, Suite B, Merritt Island, and at 2329 Medico Lane, Suite 103, Viera. For more information, visit floridaretinaspecialists.com or call 321-735-8800.
