Aaron Ricca, MD, is a fellowship-trained, board-certified retina specialist and surgeon at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls who cares for patients with diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusions, retinal tears and detachments, and inherited retinal diseases. His goal is to slow vision loss, restore sight whenever possible, and help patients keep the vision they rely on every day. Dr. Ricca started his career in mechanical engineering before turning to medicine, and he still appreciates the imaging technology that guides modern retina care. Read More
Medicine was not Dr. Ricca's first plan despite both of his parents being physicians. He set out to try something different and obtained a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Arkansas. He spent a summer at Lockheed Martin working in the guided multiple launch rocket systems program, but the work left him unfulfilled. He wanted a career with a more positive effect on the people around him, so he enrolled at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine, unsure at first where it would lead. Ophthalmology, and retina in particular, gave him his answer.
At UAMS, Dr. Ricca founded and led the school's ophthalmology interest group, directed a free eye clinic for underserved patients, and graduated first in a class of more than 150 students. He matched at the University of Iowa, his top choice, and stayed for his internship, ophthalmology residency, and vitreoretinal surgical fellowship. During that time, he also directed a free ophthalmology clinic in Iowa City and served as a staff ophthalmologist at the Iowa City VA Health Care System. After fellowship, Dr. Ricca joined Retina Associates of Kentucky, where he spent five years caring for patients and teaching surgical fellows shared with the University of Kentucky. He now brings that experience to Sioux Falls.
Many retinal diseases cause lasting vision loss, because retinal and optic nerve cells cannot be restored once they die. That reality shapes how Dr. Ricca practices. He works to stop progressive damage as early as possible, returns sight whenever he can, and weighs each treatment decision against what it means for a patient's daily life. He hopes every patient leaves knowing the clinical and surgical effort behind their care was the best he could give, and that it came with kindness.
Dr. Ricca has a particular interest in diabetic eye disease and inherited retinal conditions, and his fellowship gave him extensive exposure to inherited retinal disease care. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, including Retina and Scientific Reports, and covers Stargardt disease, PROM1-related macular dystrophy, and visual outcomes after vitrectomy for retinal detachment related to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. He has been board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology since 2021.
He believes staying current on emerging treatments is part of providing the best retina care to patients. Dr. Ricca is encouraged by how far wet and dry macular degeneration treatment has advanced over the past 10 to 20 years. He is especially hopeful about stem cell therapy as a way to restore vision lost to retinal cell death, which is not possible today, and he is following new medications in development for vascular retinal diseases.
Dr. Ricca and his wife have two children, and the family enjoys traveling together. Cooking is how he unwinds, and he likes passing down dishes and traditions from both sides of his family to his kids. He has fly-fished and hunted birds since before he could drive. He tries to fit in a run, bike ride, lift, or yoga session every day, and is learning watchmaking in hopes of one day servicing older timepieces.
Dr. Ricca looks forward to welcoming new and current patients. To schedule an appointment, simply call the number below or click Schedule Today and we’ll be in touch shortly. We are honored by the opportunity to serve you.