Boris Malyugin
The Power List 2020 – Power List 2020
Professor of Ophthalmology, S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Complex, Moscow, Russia
Your three wishes?
I have a feeling that the world nowadays is becoming less safe, less friendly, with a lot of political and military conflicts, not to mention the pandemic we are all facing today. So, my first wish is not surprising, and it is for everyone to stay healthy. Take good care of yourself and your loved ones.
My second wish is very personal – I wish for my kids to live in peace with themselves, in a calm, healthy and safe environment that will allow them to freely use their potential talents.
And the third wish is for myself. I want to be able to continue doing what I do best – taking good care of my patients – for as long as I can. This wish is actually very selfish, as I enjoy doing that very much!
Piece of advice for young ophthalmologists?
As young people face a lot of challenges and crossroads, I have some recommendations for young ophthalmologists: believe in yourself, be consistent in achieving your goals, never grow tired of learning new things and, last but not least, respect and take good care of the people around you.
The most serendipitous and memorable moments of your career?
I think that the most serendipitous moment of my career was to meet Larry Laks from the MST, with whom we developed the pupil expander ring.
Some of my most memorable moments are of absolutely unknown doctors coming up to me at ophthalmology meetings, giving me a big hug and saying: “I want to thank you very much for the device you invented [the Malyugin Ring], it really saved my life and my coronaries.”
The most unexpected turn your career took?
The fact that my name is known in many countries is very rewarding. However, for me there is another side of that coin, which is extremely attractive. As an eye surgeon, I will have a chance to restore and give sight to a certain, limited number of people (tens of thousands or slightly more). By inventing something that is useful for many, and popular the world over, there is an opportunity to help millions of patients. That is a real honor and a great privilege.
