The reason why ELZA is an international leader in eye care is that we have superb clinicians… who also are also superb and prolific academic researchers. Last year, our clinicians published 68 unique papers – four more than in 2019, our previous record-breaking year!
We took a biological approach to what has been classically viewed as a physics problem. If the laser ablation is causing inflammation, can we change how the laser energy is delivered to the cornea in order to cause less inflammation?
And so, at this year’s annual meeting of the European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS 2020), held online from 2–4 October 2020, a poster, presented by Dr. Emilio Torres-Netto, entitled “Corneal cross-linking for treating infectious keratitis: final results of the prospective randomized controlled multicentre trial” took first place in the Refractive Surgery category. The phase III trial results showed that corneal ulcers can be treated just as effectively with PACK-CXL as with the latest antibiotics, something that will soon become increasingly important.
What effect does corneal cross-linking have after 10 years? This August, ELZA doctor and researcher, Emilio Torres-Netto MD was interviewed by TouchOphthalmology on a recent congress presentation he gave on 10-year cross-linking follow-up data collated from two treatment centers in Zurich, and was asked about what the research group found.
On August 27–28th, 2020, some of ELZA’s surgeons and researchers attended the 113th Annual Congress of the SOG/SSO (the Swiss Ophthalmological Society).
Treating infectious keratitis with CXL is not like treating keratoconus with CXL. We recently had to write a letter to the journal, Ophthalmology, to point out the flaws in a recent publication in the journal.
Last year, Prof. Hafezi wrote about why he felt it was important to travel to national and international congresses to educate, and the pros and cons of spending many weekends away from home – in other words “Education without Borders”.
Workshop to show the ophthalmological and optometric management of keratoconus.
ELZA consultant surgeon, Dion Paridaens MD, PhD, was honoured to present the Gold Medal lecture at the Saudi Ophthalmology 2020 Virtual meeting on the topic of non-infectious orbital inflammation.
On August 6th, 2020, Prof. Farhad Hafezi was honored to be invited by His Royal Highness, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Ahmed, of the Saudi Royal Family, to present the Shield Lecture at the Saudi Ophthalmology 2020 virtual meeting.
