Dr Adel Barbara

From Moscow to Armenia — science, friendship, and keratoconus without borders.

After an excellent congress in Moscow, I had the pleasure of continuing this inspiring scientific journey in Yerevan, Armenia, at a remarkable congress organized by my dear friend Prof. Arrashes Zilfyan.

A special highlight was the keratoconus session organized in collaboration with the International Keratoconus Society, bringing together expertise, passion, and real clinical experience.

The live surgery was outstanding, and the scientific content reflected a very high level of ophthalmology.

It was a true pleasure to meet exceptional colleagues from the Fyodorov Institute in Moscow, Belarus, Lithuania, Georgia, Germany, and my dear friend Miltiadis Balidis, co-founder of the IKS.

Keratoconus connects us — across countries, cultures, and generations.
A beautiful meeting of science, friendship, and shared vision for better patient care.

Still reflecting on the incredible energy of the World Keratoconus Congress 3.

More than 1,000 colleagues from across the world, united by one passion — improving the lives of our keratoconus patients.

Beyond the outstanding science and courses, what truly stood out was the spirit of connection, generosity, and shared purpose.

Proud to be a very active founder of the International Keratoconus Society (IKS) , and to witness how far this community has come.

A very special and heartfelt thank you to Cosimo Mazzotta — your vision, leadership, and dedication were truly exceptional. What you created goes far beyond a congress; it is a living, growing community that continues to inspire collaboration and excellence worldwide.

I am deeply honored to have delivered the Medal Lecture of Alessandro Del Sarto and to have received this recognition. I accept it with humility and gratitude, as a reflection of a shared journey and a collective commitment to advancing keratoconus care.

Grateful to outstanding colleagues and friends who made this journey special

Facing Keratoconus is Dynamic

In this patient, PMMA intracorneal ring segments (ICRS) implanted in the right eye improved vision and maintained functional sight for many years—remaining better than the left eye, which underwent keratoplasty and additional surgeries, yet still ended with compromised vision.

After 22 years of benefit, one PMMA segment extruded, and when the effect of the remaining segment declined, CAIRS (corneal allogenic intrastromal ring segments) provided a new opportunity to help preserve vision.

Keratoconus management is a dynamic journey, where different technologies over time can complement each other to protect vision and delay more invasive procedures

From synthetic to biological rings: CAIRS for visual preservation after PMMA ICRS extrusion in keratoconus, a case report - International Ophthalmology Purpose To report the outcome of partial replacement of an extruded PMMA intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) with corneal allogenic intrastromal ring segment (CAIRS) in advanced keratoconus. Case presentation A patient with advanced keratoconus previously treated with a pair of Ferrara ring segments, a...