Prof. Farhad Hafezi, the Medical Director of the ELZA Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, was the keynote speaker at the RIO2023 Congress, the 15th International Conference of the Research Institute of Ophthalmology, held at the Hilton Heliopolis Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.
During the conference, Prof. Hafezi served as a panelist in the Refractive session and presented on “SBK: Smartphone-based Screening for Keratoconus” in the Innovation and Future session. He also spoke about “PACE: Customized Cross-Linking” and delivered the RIO2023 keynote lecture on “sub-400: CXL Treatment of Ultra-thin Corneas.”
Prof. Hafezi’s extensive knowledge and experience in refractive surgery and corneal cross-linking proved to be invaluable to the delegates at RIO2023 Congress. His keynote lecture, in particular, provided insight into the latest advancements in treating corneas that are less than 400 microns thick – and potentially as low as 200 microns, using the sub400 protocol. The sub400 protocol dramatically simplifies the cross-linking of thin corneas, and helps to avoid many of the drawbacks of older approaches. Surgeons need only to adjust the UV irradiation time based on the patient’s individual corneal thickness. The sub400 protocol, developed by ELZA’s surgeons and researchers is possible thanks to another discovery of ELZA’s: the essential role of oxygen in CXL for treating ectasia. This enabled ELZA’s research team and collaborators to build an algorithm that models the corneal cross-linking reaction, that can predict the depth of effect. This is what enables the sub400 protocol to be performed safely in patients with thin corneas, and was a highly deserving topic for the RIO2023 keynote lecture.
Additionally, Prof. Hafezi also performed a live surgery demonstration of epi-off CXL at the slit lamp during the Congress, using the EMAGine AG C-eye device and RIBO-KER riboflavin. This hands-on demonstration provided attendees with a unique opportunity to witness the latest techniques and technologies in action.
Prof. Hafezi expressed his appreciation to the conference organizers, especially Conference President Professor Mostafa Salah and Conference General Secretary Hisham Ali Hashem, for the opportunity to speak at the conference.
Overall, Prof. Farhad Hafezi’s attendance and speaking engagements at the RIO2023 Congress were a great success, and his contributions to the field of ophthalmology were well-received by the attendees.
