Dr. Svetlana Pilyugina: Opthamologist and Retinal Specialist / Surgeon

In addition, she has spent the past decade in private practice with various prestigious ophthalmology groups throughout California. Dr. Pilyugina’s clinical interests include the treatment of macular degeneration and other macular disorders, diabetic retinopathy and the repair of retinal detachments.

Perhaps Dr. P’s most notable achievement, however, is her warm and caring relationship with her patients. She makes an effort to get to know her patients as an individual, and not just as an eye condition. In fact, Dr. P limits the number of patients she sees on a daily basis in order to devote adequate time to explaining to her patients their eye condition and how she proposes to treat it.

Dr. P has been practicing as a retina specialist in Southern California for ten years and joined AEI as Director of the Retina Division in 2013. She is a native speaker of Ukrainian and Russian and is fluent in Spanish.

When Dr. P isn't treating patients, you can find her hiking the Malibu canyons with her husband, jogging at the beach, and trying to keep her two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs properly exercised so they don’t drive both her and her husband crazy.

Education

Surgical Vitreo-Retinal Fellowship

University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

2007 - 2009

Ophthalmology Residency

Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA.

2004 - 2007

Transitional Internship

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Santa Clara, CA

2003 - 2004

Doctor of Medicine

Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

1998 - 2003

Bachelor of Science (Biology/Chemistry), Summa Cum Laude

Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

1995 - 1998

Great Books Program

interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum

St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM

1993 - 1995

ACADEMIC HONORS / AWARDS

• Medical Scientist Scholar Fellowship
  Stanford School of Medicine, 2002

• Stanford Medical Scholar
  Stanford School of Medicine, 2000

• Traveling Scholar Research Fellowship
  Stanford School of Medicine, 1999

• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

  1998

• Alpha Chi National College Honor Society (top 10% junior/senior class nationally)

  1998

• USA Today All-USA College Academic Team Nomination

  1998

• World of Knowledge Foundation Scholarship

  1998

• Undergraduate Research Scholarship
  Southwestern University, 1997

• Premedical Studies Scholarship
  Southwestern University, 1996 - 97

   

PRESENTATIONS

• Pilyugina SA, Granet D, Goldbaum M. Long-Chain 3-Hydroxyacyl-CoA Dehydrogenase April, 2009

   (LCHAD) Deficiency, Retinal Manifestations. Case report.

• Pilyugina SA, Ferreyra H., Goldbaum M. Giant Macular Hole in Juvenile X-Linked March, 2009

   Retinoschisis. Western Retina Study Club Meeting, San Diego, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Goldbaum M. “OCT Features of Idiopathic Juxtafoveal Retinal Telangiectasis.” Dec, 2008

   San Diego Fluorescein Angiography Conference, La Jolla, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Ferreyra H, Goldbaum M. “Coats-Like Retinitis Pigmentosa.” Case Presentation. Sept, 2008 

  San Diego Fluorescein Angiography Conference. La Jolla, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Freeman WR, Nigam N, Goldbaum M. “Verteporphin Photodynamic Therapy April, 2008 

  for ARMD- Associated Choroidal Neovascularization after Initial Treatment Course with

• Bevacizumab.” Poster Session. ARVO Annual Meeting. Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• Pilyugina SA, Goldbaum M. “Autofluorescence in Macular Dystrophy.” Case presentation. January, 2008 

  San Diego Fluorescein Angiography Conference. La Jolla, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Freedlander M. “Atypical Choroidal Nevus.” Case presentation. San Diego August, 2007 

  Fluorescein Angiography Conference. La Jolla, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Gariano R. “Retinal Vasculopathy, Unknown.” Case presentation. May, 2006

  Bay Area Fluorescein Angiography Conference. Palo Alto, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Fischbein NR, Liao YJ, McCulley TJ. “Cranial Nerve Visualization with May, 2006 

  FIESTA Sequence.” Poster Session. ARVO Annual Meeting. Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• Pilyugina SA, Manche EE. “Prospective Evaluation of the Efficacy, Safety and Stability March, 2006 

  of the Artisan Phakic IOL for Extreme Myopia: Five-Year Follow Up.” Paper session. ASCRS Annual Symposium. San Francisco, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Chien F, Blumenkranz MS. “Retinal Pigment Epithelium Tear After March, 2006 

  Intravitreal Avastin Injection.” Case presentation. Western Retina Study Club Meeting. San Francisco, CA

• Pilyugina SA, Manche EE. “Prospective evaluation of the Efficacy, Safety and Stability of April, 2005 

  the Artisan Phakic Intraocular Lens for Extreme Myopia.” Paper session. ASCRS Annual Symposium. Washington, D.C.

• Pilyugina SA, Lavoie A, Huie P, Derr K, Smith AJ, Noolandi J, Waymouth RM, Ta CN. “In Vitro May, 2003

  Epithelialization of a Synthetic Polymer for Generation of Corneal Onlay/Keratoprosthesis.”

  Poster session. ARVO Annual Meeting. Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Pilyugina SA, Katzenstein D, Schapiro J. “HIV-related Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of April, 2001

  Health Care Workers in Odessa, Ukraine.” Paper session. International Medicine Conference,

  Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

PUBLICATIONS

• Pilyugina SA. Ocular Dietary Supplementation-Food for Thought. New Retinal Physician. May 2014
• Pilyugina SA, Fischbein N, Liao YJ, McCulley TJ. Abducens Nerve Aplasia Visualization with Fast Imaging Employing Steady-State Acquisition (FIESTA) Sequence. J Neuroophthalmol 2007; 27: 127-8
• Pilyugina SA, Moshfeghi DM, Goldsmith J, Kaiser PK. Macular Hole with Retinal Pigment Epithelium Hyperplasia Simulating Neoplasm. Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers and Imaging 2006; 37(6):484-5
• Pilyugina SA. Phakic Lens Concerns, Challenges and Successes. Eye World. March 2003.
• Pilyugina SA. Artisan Phakic IOL Update. Ophthalmology Times. Article #3239. Pilyugina SA, Katzenstein D, Bergen M, Usichenko N, Schapiro J. HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Health Care Workers in Odessa, Ukraine. Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. ThPeB5215

CLINICAL TRIALS

• ORBIT Study: Ocriplasmin Research to Better Inform Treatment Study by ThromboGenics, Inc. Multicenter, prospective, observational study to assess clinical outcomes and safety of JETREA administered for the treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion
• HARBOR Study: Phase III, multicenter, randomized study of safety and efficacy of 0.5mg and 2.0mg of Ranibizumab administered monthly or on as-needed basis for subfoveal neovascular ARMD
• Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS 2): multicenter, randomized trial of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Omega-3 fatty acids in Age-Related Macular DegenerationDiabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCRnet)
• Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study (EDIC)

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

• Clinical Research, Stanford Department of Ophthalmology 2007
  PI: M.S. Blumenkranz, M.D., Professor and Chairman
  Subject: Primary Rhegmatogenous Detachment: Scleral Buckle vs. Pneumatic Retinopexy
• Clinical Research, Stanford Department of Ophthalmology 2006
  PI: M.S. Blumenkranz, M.D., Professor and Chairman
  Subject: Modified Scleral Buckle: Extraconjunctival Approach
• Medical Scientist Scholars Fellowship
  Stanford Department of Ophthalmology 2002 - 2003
  PI: C.N. Ta, M.D., Assistant Professor, Program Director
  Subject: Epithelialization of a Synthetic Polymer for the Development of Corneal Onlay and Keratoprosthesis
• Clinical Research Assistant
  Stanford School of Medicine/National Retina Institute
  MD 2002PI: S. Mansour, M.D., Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
  Subject: A Randomized Study Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of Two Doses of Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide for Diabetic Macular Edema
• Clinical Research Assistant
  Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Santa Clara, CA 2002-2004
  PI: R. Jariwalla, Ph.D., California Institute for Medical Research
  S. Mansour, M.D., Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
  Subject: Immune Restoration by Lipoic Acid in AIDS Patients clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00033176
• Traveling Scholars Fellowship
  Stanford University School of Medicine 1999 - 2000
  PI: J. Schapiro, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases
  D. Katzenstein, M.D., Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases
  Subject: HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Health Care Workers in Odessa, Ukraine

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• Neuroanatomy Teaching Assistant, Stanford University School of Medicine 2000
• Histology Teaching Assistant, Southwestern University 1998

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

• Jornada de Ojo, Ophthalmology Mission Trip, Santo Tomas, Guatemala September, 2006
• Fluorescein Conference, Stanford Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford, CA 2005 - 2007
  Organized and coordinated monthly resident angiography conference
• Mentor, Quest Scholar Summer Program, Stanford University Summer, 2002
  Counseled and provided career guidance for gifted low-income high school students
• Volunteer, Arbor Free Clinic, Menlo Park, CA 1999-2003
  Provided free healthcare to medically underserved population in a student-run clinic
• Admissions Committee Member, Stanford Medical School 1999-2000
  Conducted applicant interviews and reviewed applications
• Physician Coordinator/Steering Committee Member, Arbor Free Clinic, Stanford, CA 1999-2000
  Russian/Ukrainian Medical Interpreter, Stanford Medical Center 1999-2003
• International Counselor/Interpreter for U.S. Human Rights and Rural Justice Center Summer, 1997

LANGUAGES

• English (fluent)
• Russian (native speaker)
• Ukrainian (native speaker)
• Spanish (fluent)