Michael Puente Jr., MD

Professional Titles

• UCHealth Special Care Eye Clinic, Director

Recognitions

• Crystal Cornea Award, Eye Bank Association of America (2025)
• Achievement Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology (2024)
• Secretariat Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Communications Secretariat (2023)
• Secretariat Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Secretary for Federal Affairs (2023)
• Leadership Development Program, Class of 2023, American Academy of Ophthalmology (2023)
• Children's Hospital Colorado Provider of the Month (August 2020), Children's Hospital Colorado (2020)
• Advocacy Ambassador, American Academy of Pediatrics - Section on Ophthalmology (2020)
• Most Outstanding Resident Research Presentation, Tulane University Department of Ophthalmology (2019)

Research Interests

Publications

• Liu J, Puente MA, Edwards Mayhew RG, Smith CG, Mehner LC, Jung JL, McCourt EA. Corneal tomography under general anesthesia in the lateral decubitus position. J AAPOS. 2025 Jun;29(3):104205. PubMed PMID: 40228578
• Marks B, Puente MA. Down syndrome is a risk factor for developing corneal ulcers following nasolacrimal duct stenting. J AAPOS. 2025 Apr;29(2):104126. PubMed PMID: 39947456
• Liu J, Mantha A, Benjamin TD, Goryachok M, Ahmed M, Grove N, Puente MA. Depictions of Strabismus in Children's Animated Films. Pediatrics. 2024 Dec 1;154(6). PubMed PMID: 39523787
• Abe-Ridgway K, Puente MA. Bilateral cataracts in a three-year-old with deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2), hyperferritinemia, and prolonged steroid use. Ophthalmic Genet. 2024 Nov 12;:1-5. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39530311
• Lai JM, Milner DC, Frisbie R, Puente MA. Abducens nerve palsy: a rare copresenting sign of incomplete Kawasaki Disease. J AAPOS. 2024 Nov 26;:104061. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39608702
• Gill ZS, Marin AI, Caldwell AS, Mehta N, Grove N, Seibold LK, Puente MA, De Carlo Forest TE, Oliver SCN, Patnaik JL, Manoharan N. Limited English Proficiency Is Associated With Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients Presenting for Cataract Surgery. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2023 Oct 3;12(10):4. PubMed PMID: 37796496
• Le CB, Deitz GA, McCourt EA, Puente MA. Diagnostic yield of workups ordered by pediatric ophthalmologists for bilateral pediatric cataracts at a tertiary pediatric hospital in the United States. J AAPOS. 2023 Oct;27(5):271.e1-271.e5. PubMed PMID: 37717619
• Mayeda MS, Jung JL, McCourt EA, Maloney JA, Puente MA. Ophthalmic manifestations of ruptured arachnoid cysts in children. J AAPOS. 2023 Apr;27(2):89.e1-89.e4. PubMed PMID: 36849036
• Gill ZS, Caldwell AS, Patnaik JL, Marin AI, Mudie LI, Grove N, Ifantides C, Ertel MK, Puente MA, Seibold LK. Comparison of cataract surgery outcomes in English proficient and limited English proficiency patients. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023 Jun 1;49(6):595-601. PubMed PMID: 36779806
• Law JC, Puente MA. From Research to Action-Implementing Initiatives to Address Ophthalmologic Health Disparities. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023 Jan 1;141(1):71-72. PubMed PMID: 36480178
• Law JC, Puente MA. From Research to Action-Implementing Initiatives to Address Ophthalmologic Health Disparities. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023 Jan 1;141(1):71-72. PubMed PMID: 36480178
• Puente MA, Deitz G, Patnaik JL, et al. Results of Genetic, Infectious, and Metabolic Testing in the Work-Up of Bilateral Pediatric Cataracts at a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital. Annual meeting of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). Virtual meeting; April 9, 2021.
• Puente MA, Jung JL. Ocular Manifestations of Ruptured Arachnoid Cysts in Pediatric Patients. Annual meeting of Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Virtual meeting; May 4, 2021.
• Puente MA. Global Comparison of Eligibility Criteria for Corneal Donation by Men who Have Sex with Men. 2021 Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) Annual Meeting. Virtual meeting; September 24, 2021.
• Puente MA, McCourt EA, Maloney J, Jung JL. Ocular Manifestations of Ruptured Arachnoid Cysts in Pediatric Patients. American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA; November 12-15, 2021.
• Rajeswaren V, Puente MA. Aicardi syndrome. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. February 2021. http://eyewiki.aao.org/Aicardi_Syndrome.
• Orysheva E, Puente MA. Oculocardiac reflex. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. March 2021. http://eyewiki.aao.org/Oculocardiac_Reflex.
• Puente MA, Rager J. Corneal Donation by Men Who Have Sex with Men. Colorado Medical Society Resolution, adopted March 26, 2021.
• Gilbert C, Puente MA. Homocystinuria. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. July 2021. http://eyewiki.aao.org/Homocystinuria.
• Fang J, Puente MA. Knobloch syndrome. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. December 2021. https://eyewiki.org/Knobloch_Syndrome.
• Wong JO, Puente MA. Corneal donation. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. December 2021. https://eyewiki.org/Corneal_Donation.
• Neguse J, Baldwin T, et al. Congressional Letter to HHS and FDA on Corneal Tissue Donations. November 29, 2021.
• Puente MA, Patnaik JL, Lynch AM, Snyder BM, Caplan CM, Pham B, Neves da Silva HV, Chen C, Taravella MJ, Palestine AG. Association of Federal Regulations in the United States and Canada With Potential Corneal Donation by Men Who Have Sex With Men. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep 24. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32970105
• Puente MA, Mustapha J, Ifantides C. Malarial retinopathy. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. April 15, 2020. http://eyewiki.aao.org/Malarial_retinopathy.
• Curran C, Puente MA. Loa loa filariasis (African eye worm). American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. September 23, 2020. https://eyewiki.org/Loa_loa_filariasis_(African_eye_worm)
• Puente MA. The ban on gay & bi men donating their eyes is leaving thousands blind. LGBTQ Nation. October 13, 2020. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/10/ban-gay-bi-men-donating-eyes-leaving-thousands-blind/
• Puente MA. Corneal Donation by Gay Men. Council Advisory Recommendation endorsed by the state ophthalmology societies of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah and submitted by those societies to the Council of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. January 30, 2020. https://www.aao.org/about/governance/council
• Puente MA, Patnaik JL, Lynch AM. Association of Federal Regulations in the United States and Canada With Potential Corneal Donation by Men Who Have Sex With Men. JAMA Ophthalmology. Pre-published online September 24, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.3630
• Curran C, Puente MA. Loa loa filariasis (African eye worm). American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. September 23, 2020. https://eyewiki.org/Loa_loa_filariasis_(African_eye_worm)
• Puente MA, Mustapha J, Ifantides C. Malarial retinopathy. American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeWiki. April 15, 2020. http://eyewiki.aao.org/Malarial_retinopathy.
• Puente MA. Corneal Donation by Gay Men. Council Advisory Recommendation endorsed by the state ophthalmology societies of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah and submitted by those societies to the Council of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. January 30, 2020. https://www.aao.org/about/governance/council
• Pinto A, Puente M Jr, Shaikh F, Mireskandari K, Gallie B, Soliman SE. Aseptic pediatric orbital cellulitis: retinoblastoma until otherwise proven. Ophthalmic Genet. 2019 Oct;40(5):488-492. PubMed PMID: 31647343
• Dixit L, Puente M, Yen KG. Characteristics of Anterior Lens Opacities in Children. Open Ophthalmol J. 2017;11:84-88. PubMed PMID: 28553426
• Ford JR, Puente MA, Valenzuela AA. BB pellet extraction from the anterior orbit using manual expression. Can J Ophthalmol. 2017 Aug;52(4):e128-e130. PubMed PMID: 28774534
• Kuo D, Thaker S, Duncan M, Puente M, Parra S, Rider A, Horter K, Pillow MT. Use of Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish Adults (SAHLSA-50) to determine the health literacy rate of the Spanish-speaking population in an urban emergency department. J Fam Strengths. 2017;17(1):11.
• Cao JH, Wagner BD, Cerda A, McCourt EA, Palestine A, Enzenauer RW, Braverman RS, Wong RK, Tsui I, Gore C, Robbins SL, Puente MA Jr, Kauffman L, Kong L, Morrison DG, Lynch AM. Colorado retinopathy of prematurity model: a multi-institutional validation study. J AAPOS. 2016 Jun;20(3):220-5. PubMed PMID: 27166790
• Puente MA, Herce HH, Bhatt AR, Marx DP, Yen KG. Decreased ocular motility after facial trauma. Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/834680. Published November 17, 2014.

Professional Memberships

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Member
• Colorado Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (CSEPS), Former President
• American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), Member

Practice Locations

• Children's Hospital Colorado
• University of Colorado Hospital

Specialty Information

• Ophthalmology, Board Certification (2021)
• Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus, Specialized Training (2020)

• Eyes and Vision - Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus
• Eyes and Vision
• Surgery - Eye and/or Orbital Surgery
• Surgery
• Eyes and Vision - Eye Disease
• Child and Teen Health