ELZA’s Surgeons at AAO 2023: Advancing Corneal Science and Surgical Techniques
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2023 meeting will be held at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco, from November 3 to November, and is the largest ophthalmology conference in the world.
ELZA’s surgeons and researchers are there, presenting their work and educating attendees. Here is a summary of their contributions, in chronological order:
Friday, Nov 3 2023
8:11 AM to 8:39 AM at WEST 3014
Farhad Hafezi, MD, PhD, FARVO discusses:
Crosslinking at the Slit Lamp: What’s New in 2023
- Topic: Refractive Surgery
- Description: Farhad Hafezi elaborates on advancements in crosslinking at the slit lamp, discussing novel techniques introduced in 2023.
8:00 AM to Monday, Nov 6, 2023 3:30 PM at DEMAND
Emilio A. Torres-Netto, MD, PhD presents:
- Induction of Crosslinks in Corneal Tissue by Sunlight Exposure and Oral Riboflavin Administration in Rabbits: The Biomechanical Impact Using Extensometry and High-Resolution OCT Elastography
- Purpose: To assess whether oral riboflavin combined with exposure to natural sunlight may lead to a stiffening effect in the corneas of free-moving rabbits. Biomechanical changes were analyzed using OCT elastography and stress-strain extensometry.
- Conclusion: Oral riboflavin and reduced sunlight exposure in vivo did not significantly improve the corneal stiffness of rabbit corneas.
- High-Resolution OCT Elastography: Clinical Evaluation of Normal and Keratoconus Corneas
- Topic: Cornea, External Disease
- Purpose: Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is a new technology that aims at detecting localized biomechanical changes using local tissue deformation via optical coherence tomography imaging. Here, we assessed the ability of OCE in differentiating normal and keratoconus (KC) corneas.
- Conclusions: OCE is capable of clinically differentiating normal and keratoconic corneas by analyzing in-depth corneal strain.
- A Novel Keratoconus Staging System Based on OCT by Nanji Lu, MD
- Purpose: To establish a numerical spectral domain OCT (SD OCT)-based keratoconus (KC) staging system and compare it with existing KC staging systems.
- Conclusion: This new staging system is the first to take the epithelium with its sublayer stroma information into account, showing a strong compatibility with the existing systems.
Saturday, Nov 4, 2023
12:30 PM to 2:30 PM at SOUTH 4
Saturday sees Lamis Baydoun, MD instruct in the following course:
Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty: Principles and Practice
- Topic: Cornea, External Disease
- Education Level: Advanced
- Synopsis: This wet lab course will cover current and evolving practice in anterior lamellar keratoplasty. An international faculty will cover different lamellar dissection techniques, including “big bubble,” viscodissection, modified Melles, and automated and femtosecond lamellar deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty.
Monday, Nov 6, 2023
8:00 AM to 9:15 AM at WEST 2006
Farhad Hafezi, MD, PhD, FARVO presents:
Individualized CXL in Ultrathin Corneas: The ‘sub400’ Protocol, 2-Year Follow-Up Data
- Topic: Cornea, External Disease
- Purpose: The Dresden protocol for corneal crosslinking (CXL) relies on a minimal stromal thickness of 400 µm. This presentation discusses a 2-year follow-up on the sub400 protocol, an epi-off CXL algorithm for ultrathin corneas that adapts the fluence based on the patient’s individual stromal thickness.
- Conclusion: The sub400 protocol standardizes the treatment in ultrathin corneas and halts keratoconus progression with a success rate of 90% at 12 and 82% at 24 months.
Our surgeons continue advance the field with their research into corneal cross-linking, corneal biology, biomechanics, and refractive surgery, and we contribute significantly to the global ophthalmic community. ELZA’s contributions at AAO 2023 underscores our commitment to clinical excellence and innovation in ophthalmology.
