Dr. Tirso Mark Lara is the newest member of the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute physician team. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Mexico, Dr. Lara graduated from LaSalle University School of Medicine. He then completed a surgical research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During this time, he was the recipient of the National Research Service Grant Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also received the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) grant award to support research.

Following a surgical internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago, he continued his residency training at Vanderbilt University Department of Ophthalmology in Nashville, Tennessee. He furthered his studies with a two-year fellowship in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Retina Specialists of Alabama. As a fellow he learned the latest and most advanced methods of treatment for retinal diseases. Dr. Lara also served as a Clinical Instructor of Ophthalmology for the Department of Ophthalmology and was actively involved in teaching residents.

He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Ocular Trauma, the American Medical Association, the Florida Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Broward County Ophthalmological Society. Dr. Lara is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Lara specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with all retinal disorders. He has a special interest in macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, and severe ocular trauma. He routinely uses state-of-the-art surgical and laser techniques for various problems such as retinal detachments, macular holes, and eye injuries. Dr. Lara has actively written and published articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, and has participated in large multicenter scientific studies.

He is fluent in both English and Spanish, and travels to underserved communities in Central America to donate his services. On a personal level, he dedicates his time to his wife Daniela, as well as playing piano and guitar.