What is a retina specialist?

A retina specialist is a medical doctor that has completed a three year ophthalmology residency and then has completed a two year fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery and disease. Retina is a subspecialty of ophthalmology that concentrates on the medical and surgical treatment of diseases that affect the back of the eye. Although trained to perform cataract surgery and other general ophthalmic operations, most retina specialists concentrate on performing laser and invasive surgery involving the retina and vitreous. There are fewer than a thousand retina specialists in the United States.

Why go to a retina specialist?

Most of our patients are referred to us for our expertise in disorders of the retina from their primary care physicians, optometrists or general ophthalmologists. The field of vitreoretinal surgery is rapidly changing with newer diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that can be used to address your particular problem. As retinal specialists, we dedicate ourselves to continued education so we can serve our patients well. As we only see patients with retina problems, our experience with your particular problem is likely to be more thorough. You can get equally expert care in Monmouth and Ocean County as you could if you travelled to anywhere in the country.

Haris I. Amin, M.D.

Dr. Amin graduated medical school from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse (Upstate Medical Center) in 1992. Residency in ophthalmology was at Upstate Medical Center. Fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal Surgery was at California Pacific Medical Center with Dr. Everett Ai and Dr. Richard McDonald, both world-recognized specialists. Dr. Amin has also served with ORBIS International. ORBIS is a humanitarian organization educating ophthalmologists, nurses and support staff in developing countries.

Dr. Amin became Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology in 1998 and recertified in 2008. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of American Society of Retina Specialists. Prior to starting Ocean County Retina in 2004, Dr. Amin practiced in Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia with retina subspecialty practices. Having grown up on Long Island, Dr. Amin moved to the area with his wife and two children to be close to family.

Dr. Amin has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Retina, Ophthalmology and Archives of Ophthalmology. Book chapters include Acquired Macular Disease in the prestigious Duane's Clinical Ophthalmology and Retinal Vascular Diseases in Clinics of Ophthalmology. Lectures and presentations at specialty meetings are on-going as are talks to patient groups.

Dr. Amin enjoys biking, the beach and baseball.

Link to Dr. Amin’s Board Certification is here.

Mohammedyusuf E. Hajee, M.D.

Dr Hajee attended Stevens Institute of Technology for undergraduate studies. He received his MD degree from Ross University, School of Medicine in 2001. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY where he was elected as the chief resident. He stayed at SUNY-Downstate to complete his fellowship training in Neuro-ophthalmology and Vitreo-Retinal Surgery.

Dr. Hajee is Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is an fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of American Society of Retina Specialists. Having grown up in New Jersey, Dr. Hajee returned back and joined Ocean County Retina in 2009.

Dr. Hajee has researched, lectured on various topics at national meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. He serves on the Board of Governors of the New Jersey Academy of Ophthalmology and is a reviewer of prestigious journals including Ophthalmology and Journal of Ocular Biology.

Dr. Hajee is a father of three and enjoys motorsports, watersports, and collecting vintage watches.

Ahsan Hussain, M.D.

Ahsan Hussain, MD received his undergraduate and medical education from the accelerated BA/MD program at the University of Missouri. During this time he was the recipient of numerous awards including the J. Michael de Ungria Humanitarian Award, Sarah Morrison Research Award, and inducted into the Gold Humanism Society.

He went on to perform his post-graduate training in ophthalmology at New York Medical College. During his training he was selected by his peers to be Chairman of the Graduate Medical Education program. He also served as Chief Resident and was awarded the Most Outstanding Resident Award in his final year. After residency, Dr. Hussain completed his Vitreoretinal fellowship at Boston University.

Dr. Hussain’s research in ophthalmology has been published in numerous leading peer-reviewed medical journals. He has been awarded multiple grants for his work and has enjoyed presenting at numerous national and international meetings. These pursuits have allowed him to become a panelist for the American Society of Retina Specialists and regular instructor for the New York State Department of Health.

Dr. Hussain has a strong interest in training the next generation and has served as a teacher and mentor in various capacities throughout his college, medical school and residency years. He is currently a clinician-educator at New York Medical College, serving as assistant professor and part-time faculty.

Dr. Hussain is a New York native, born in Queens and growing up in the lower Hudson Valley. In his spare time he enjoys traveling with his wife, trying new restaurants, and maintaining an active lifestyle.