Dr Srinivas K Rao DO, DNB, FRCSEd completed his medical training in 1988 at Madras Medical College, Chennai – and was the Best Outgoing Student, apart from receiving 4 other Medals. He completed his Ophthalmic Education in 1991, at Sankara Nethralaya, under the aegis of the Dr MGR Medical University. He obtained his Diploma of the National Board in 2002, and the FRCSEd in 2002, in which exam he was awarded the Gold Medal for the Best Performance that Year. He has worked as a Senior Consultant at Sankara Nethralaya for 15 years before accepting the post of Professor in the Chinese University of Hong Kong – the largest University in Asia, from September 2004 till August 2006. Since October 2006 he is Director of Darshan Eye Care and Darshan Surgical Centre.

Dr Rao underwent training in Corneal Diseases and Surgery at Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, and New York. He trained for Phacoemulsification in Calgary, Canada, and LASIK in Minneapolis. Lamellar corneal surgical training was in Rotterdam with Dr Gerrit Melles, and Keratoprosthesis surgery in Italy, under Prof Giancarlo Falcinelli. He is certified for advanced IOL surgery, the AlphaCor prosthesis, and has been trained in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Estelle Doheny Institute in California.

He has more than 30 years of experience in the management of complex cataracts, corneal diseases and refractive errors. He was one of the first surgeons in the country to use complex surgical techniques like limbal stem cell transplants, anterior and posterior lamellar corneal surgical procedures, autografts for pterygium, and keratoprostheses to help patients with end-stage corneal eye disease. Apart from his deep interest in Corneal Diseases, he is also a pioneer in the management of complex cataract-related problems – as in scleral fixated IOLs, management of cataracts in children, and dislocated lenses. He
has vast experience in LASIK surgery for the correction of refractive errors, and is experienced in the management of patients with complications of refractive surgery.

He has attended 325 National and 85 International Meetings and delivered close to 700 lectures. He has conducted Instruction Courses at the APAO, WOC, ASCRS, and AAO meetings. He has published 195 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and authored chapters in 20 books and is Editor of the A to Z book series. He is a reviewer for 10 peer-reviewed journals and the Anterior Segment Section Editor for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. He is a Principal Investigator for Phase III trials conducted by Alcon, Allergan and Cipla.

He has published extensively in these areas and is much sought after as a speaker and teacher. He has authored multiple books in the areas of Cataract, Refractive surgery, and Corneal diseases. He is actively involved in efforts to promote knowledge in the management of Corneal Diseases, and Mentors Fellows in his CORNEA Fellowship program. He has produced a Module called HOST (Handbook of Ocular Surface Treatment) which will serve as a comprehensive resource for the diagnosis and management of problems of the Ocular Surface. He was the first President of the Cornea Society of India.

He has received the following awards
Outstanding Service in the Prevention of Blindness, APAO – June 2006
IMA Oration – October 2006
Rustom Ranji Oration & Gold Medal – 2008
IAOH Oration and Medal – 2009
Trivandrum Ophthalmic Club Oration – 2016
G Mukherjee Oration, ISCKRS, August 2022
Dr Anjana Saikia Oration, OSA, November 2022

Current Affiliations
Director – Darshan Eye Care & Surgical Centre
Ophthalmic Consultant, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai
Head of Cornea Service, Sunetra Eye Care, Kolkata
Honorary Associate Professor, DOVS, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Member of International Advisory Board, CMER, China