Prof. Dr. Farhad Hafezi MD, PhD, FARVO, ELZA’s medical director headed to DOC 2024 – the 36th International Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgery – in Nuremberg, Germany to educate delegates on slit lamp cross-linking. DOC is a prestigious congress that gathers ophthalmologists from around the world to share and discuss the latest advancements in eye surgery and treatments.
Prof. Hafezi’s lecture, titled “Crosslinking at the Slit Lamp,” was part of the “Hornhautchirurgie” (Corneal Surgery) session on June 21, 2024, from 13:15 to 13:30. This presentation focused on innovative techniques for keratoconus treatment advancements, specifically the application of corneal cross-linking (CXL) performed at the slit lamp. This method allows for a more accessible and potentially less costly approach to performing CXL – both welcome advances, but particularly welcome in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs).
Most surgical procedures are performed in the operating room for obvious reasons: sterile environment, comprehensive equipment, and trained staff. However, for convenience and cost-effectiveness, many small surgeries are increasingly being performed in smaller, office-based procedure rooms. This trend is evident in ophthalmology, where office-based cataract surgery has proven as safe as operating room procedures, without differences in adverse events or visual outcomes. Similarly, CXL, historically performed in operating rooms, can now be done at the slit lamp in an ophthalmologist’s office. This transition offers several advantages. Performing CXL at the slit lamp reduces costs and broadens access to treatment, especially in LMICs where hospital-based care is limited and often unaffordable. Lowering these barriers means more patients can receive the care they need.
CXL at the slit lamp uses the same UV irradiation settings and riboflavin concentration as in the operating room, achieving identical results. The procedure’s pathogen-killing effects are due to reactive oxygen species that are generated by the UV light interacting with the riboflavin, and these directly attack and kill pathogens present in the cornea, meaning that the cornea is effectively sterile after the procedure is complete. Patients generally tolerate the procedure well, especially with adjustments for comfort and higher UV intensities that shorten treatment time.
Prof. Hafezi’s contributions to DOC 2024 underscore his commitment to improving keratoconus treatment and expanding access for all through thoughtful and imaginative approaches in the laboratory and in the clinic.
Prof. Hafezi expressed his gratitude to the organizers and the Scientific Committee of DOC 2024 for the opportunity to present ELZA’s work at this renowned international congress.
