Meet Dr. Montezuma
Dr. Sandra Montezuma
​Vitreoretinal Surgeon
Specialty and Clinical Expertise
Dr. Montezuma specializes in the medical and surgical management of retinal diseases in both adults and children. Her clinical expertise encompasses a broad range of retinal conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, inherited retinal diseases, pediatric retinal disorders, retina detachments and complex ocular trauma.t's easy.
Education and Advanced Training
Dr. Montezuma earned her medical degree from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and completed her first ophthalmology residency at the Fundación Oftalmológica de Santander in Colombia in 2001. She subsequently joined the Boston Retinal Implant Project at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI), Harvard Medical School (HMS), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she conducted basic science research in retinal prostheses for nearly four years.
She completed a surgical internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2005, followed by a second ophthalmology residency at MEEI/HMS in 2008 and a two-year surgical retina fellowship in 2010. After more than a decade of advanced surgical ophthalmology training at Harvard-affiliated institutions, she moved to Minnesota to join the University of Minnesota (UMN), where she practiced for more than 15 years.
Academic Leadership and Teaching
During her academic career at UMN, Dr. Montezuma served as Director of the Medical Student Ophthalmology Clerkship for 10 years and Director of the Retina Clinic for five years, through May 2026. She has mentored numerous medical students, ophthalmology residents, and vitreoretinal surgery fellows, many of whom continue to serve communities throughout Minnesota. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota
Research and Publications
Dr. Montezuma has served as principal investigator for numerous national and international clinical trials and research projects. Her research interests include age-related macular degeneration, inherited retinal diseases,ocular trauma, pediatric retinal disorders, retinal implants, and retinal prostheses.
She has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in ophthalmology and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed abstracts presented at national and international scientific meetings through poster and podium presentations
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Montezuma has received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions to clinical care, teaching, research, and academic service. Her honors include the Distinguished Teaching and Service Award at MEEI/HMS, the Gilligham Fellowship Award from the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, and the 13th Fellowship Research Award from the Retina Society in 2010.
At UMN, she received the Mentoring and Teaching Award in 2017, Clinical Excellence Honors in 2023 for distinguished patient care and service, and the Clinical Teaching Excellence Award in 2022. In 2018, she was appointed to the prestigious endowed Knobloch Chair Professorship. She was also recognized as one of America’s Most Honored Doctors in 2022 by the American Registry and named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in 2020, 2022, and 2025.
Professional Societies
Dr. Montezuma is an active member of several professional ophthalmology organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Women in Retina (WinR) and the Minnesota Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MAEPS) among others.
Dr Montezuma lives in Plymouth with her husband and two children and enjoys spending her free time beating them in the game of Catan, and spending time on beautiful Medicine Lake.
Languages spoken:
English and Spanish
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Education:
Medical and Surgical Retina fellowship
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, US
Second Ophthalmology residency
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, US