Podium Power

Hafezi addressed the widespread reliance on a 1986 prevalence estimate that places keratoconus at 1 in 2,000—formally classifying it as rare. Yet as she highlighted, emerging epidemiological data tell a starkly different story. Keratoconus is an orphan disease, not a rare one.
Who is the best eye doctor in Zurich? In Switzerland? In the world? While such questions are inherently subjective, peer recognition provides a meaningful benchmark. Medical trade journal, The Ophthalmologist seeks to answer this by publishing its biennial Power List—a global selection of the 100 most influential individuals shaping the future of ophthalmology.
At the WCC 2025 congress in Washington, DC, Dr. Emilio A. Torres-Netto of the ELZA Institute presented groundbreaking research on ELZA-PACE-CXL, ELZA-sub400 CXL, and Femto-CAIRS, pushing the boundaries of keratoconus treatment.
ELZA-PACE combines epi-on cross-linking with customized PTK for keratoconus without stromal tissue removal – as reported by Ocular Surgery News
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