It is bittersweet that we announce the retirement of Dwain Fuller, M.D., from our practice effective December 31, 2020. He has been an integral part of Texas Retina Associates, caring for patients since 1977, when he was invited to join the practice by our three founding members. His medical career has spanned 58 years with 50 of those in ophthalmology.
The humanitarian potential of becoming a physician persuaded Dr. Dwain Fuller to pursue medicine. After completing medical school at Baylor University in Houston, he started his residency in internal medicine at the University of Virginia but then left to serve in the Army during Vietnam. While working with ophthalmologists during his time in the Army, he found his calling.
After his military service, Dr. Dwain Fuller completed a three-year residency in ophthalmology in San Francisco. From there, he pursued a fellowship in retina and vitreous diseases at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, where he studied under the pioneers of the newly emerging technique of vitrectomy — a surgical treatment for retinal detachment. Upon completion of his fellowship, he joined the staff at Bascom Palmer for two years before joining Texas Retina Associates where he has cared for thousands of patients over the past four decades. In addition, one of his sons, Christopher G. Fuller, MD, joined our Lubbock office in 2015, and his youngest son Timothy S. Fuller, MD, joined Texas Retina in 2016, and serves our Dallas Main and Athens offices.
“Medicine has been my life,” Dr. Dwain Fuller shared. “I have never tired of going to the office to see patients and have developed some strong friendships with many of them. Letting medicine go will be hard for me, but it is time.”
Dr. Dwain Fuller’s approach to care has always been to inspire patient trust first, and he believes the best visual outcomes are achieved when a patient and physician work together as a team.
“His focus on meeting the individual needs of each patient, his thoughtfulness and wisdom, and his medical leadership have been an integral part of our practice,” said Texas Retina Associates CEO Jeff Brockette. “Dr. Fuller is a big believer in the power of caring for people like family — a legacy that will endure at Texas Retina. He has always encouraged the growth and development of our staff and wholeheartedly supported the team that worked alongside him. On top of that, he has a witty sense of humor that we’re all going to miss.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Dwain Fuller has earned the trust of his physician partners as well.
“Dr. Dwain Fuller has always been the heart and soul of Texas Retina — the pinnacle, the imagination, the industry and the inspiration for all of us,” shared Texas Retina Associates physician Gary Edd Fish, MD. “We will miss him very much. He has earned retirement, and we wish him leisure and contentment, although knowing him, he will probably be as busy as ever.”
Now that he is retiring, Dr. Dwain Fuller looks forward to spending more time with his wife and grandchildren and also hopes to resuscitate a historical novel his mother worked on for over 30 years but never published.
Texas Retina Associates is grateful for the tremendous commitment and care Dr. Dwain Fuller has provided to so many over the years and wishes him a happy, healthy retirement. If you are one of his patients, please know that we are here to ensure a seamless transition to one of our other retina specialists in the office most convenient to you so that you do not experience any care, coverage or claims issues. If you have not yet done so, please call us at 1-800-695-6941.