Welcome to the Moorfields KPro Study Group Symposium
September 25, 2025 by admin · Leave a Comment
We want to invite clinicians, researchers, and innovators in the field of anterior segment surgery to join us for the Moorfields KPro Study Group Symposium, which will take place in London on Friday, 10 October.
For patients in whom standard corneal transplantation is not a viable option, keratoprosthesis (KPro) remains a critical therapeutic approach to restore visual function. These interventions are often reserved for the most severe ocular surface diseases and advanced corneal pathologies, where conventional techniques offer little or no benefit. The surgical and postoperative challenges are substantial, yet the possibility of restoring meaningful vision in previously untreatable cases highlights the transformative potential of this field.
This symposium, organized by Moorfields Eye Hospital in collaboration with the KPro Study Group, will bring together leading experts from around the world to present new research, discuss recent advances in device design and surgical technique, review clinical outcomes, and explore future directions in patient care and translational science.
We look forward to welcoming you in London as we advance the science and clinical practice of artificial corneal transplantation.
In Memoriam: Jean-Marie Parel, PhD
August 15, 2025 by admin · Leave a Comment
The KPro Study Group is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jean-Marie Parel, PhD, a pioneering researcher and biomedical engineer who dedicated his life to advancing the field of ophthalmology. Dr. Parel passed away on August 10, 2025, at the age of 82.
As the Director of the Ophthalmic Biophysics Center at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Dr. Parel played a crucial role in developing innovative solutions for ophthalmic care. His work on keratoprosthesis, corneal surgery, and ophthalmic instrumentation has improved surgical outcomes and patients’ quality of life worldwide.
Dr. Parel’s research expertise included the development of novel surgical instruments, clinical devices, and tissue engineering techniques. He was a prolific author and inventor, with numerous publications and patents to his name. Throughout his career, Dr. Parel received numerous awards and grants for his contributions to ophthalmology, including funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). His work has been awarded several prestigious prizes for his research and contributions to the field.
The KPro Study Group remembers Dr. Parel as a dedicated colleague, mentor, and friend. As one of the founding members he has been the heart and soul of this group. His passion for innovation and commitment to excellence inspired countless individuals in the field of ophthalmology and keratoprosthesis. His legacy will continue to inspire us to shape the future of ophthalmic research and education in the field of artificial corneas.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Dr. Parel’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. His passing is a significant loss to the ophthalmic community, but his legacy will live on through his work and the countless lives he touched by mentoring hundreds of high school, college, medical and engineering students.
Further information on Dr Parel’s funeral arrangement and a memorial celebration of his life will be forthcoming.
Jose de la Cruz MD
Secretary General
On behalf of the KPro Study Group
33rd Biennial Cornea Conference
June 7, 2024 by admin · Leave a Comment
Registration and Announcement:
https://www.eventleaf.com/e/33BiennialCorneaConference
Sponsored by Harvard Ophthalmology in Partnership with the Champalimaud Foundation
October 3 – 5, 2024 · Champalimaud Foundation
OSKON 2023: 4th Ocular Surface and Keratoprosthesis Conference
January 10, 2023 by admin · Leave a Comment
OSKON 2023, on August 25-27, 2023
Registration and Announcement:
https://www.sankaranethralaya.org/oskon2023/index.html
KPro Study Group Webinar Series II
May 7, 2020 by admin · Leave a Comment
KPro Webinar Series II, held on May 9, 2020
KPro Study Group Webinar Series
April 30, 2020 by admin · Leave a Comment
KPro Webinar Series I, held on May 2, 2020
KPro Invited Courses at VIII World Cornea Congress
February 11, 2020 by admin · Leave a Comment
EVENT CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
Dear KPro aficionados,
Two important announcements:
1) Professor James Chodosh and the MEEI team are planning the meeting ”Boston Keratoprosthesis Type I: Fundamentals and New Directions” to be held at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 from 12 noon to 5 PM, with reception to follow. Send reservations to Larisa Gelfand (larisa_Gelfand@meei.harvard.edu)
2) The VIII World Cornea Congress held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, has an Invited Course on Thursday May 14, 2020, organized by the KPro Society with topics (preliminary program link):
“Updates in KPro Studies”
- Update on the international database for KPro as a primary penetrating procedure; P3KPRO study
- CXL and KPro clinical trial update
- Five year follow up of PANKPRO study; Latin American countries
- Matched control in data analysis of KPRO
“New approaches/Materials/Devices”
- Tubes versus Laser in KPro
- Modifications to current KPro/MOOKP
- LVKPRO
- Update on Keraklear artificial cornea, US trial
Time and speakers are unknown at this time. We will keep abreast of new developments.
All the best,
Jose de la Cruz, Secretary General
Jean-Marie Parel, Associate Secretary General
2019 KPro Round Tables Meeting-Miami
August 30, 2019 by admin · Leave a Comment
Meeting Announcement: The Gray Zone Between KPro and OOKP
NB: Personal laptop presentations could not be recorded, audio only.
To all KPro aficionados,
We will have a KPro Study Group 2019 Round Table meeting, chaired by Professor Eduardo Alfonso, on October 19, 2019, Noon to 5pm, at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s Jose Berrocal Auditorium situated in the Anne Bates Leach Eye Center, 900 NW 17 street, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Meeting title: “The Gray Zone; Between KPro and OOKP”
Purpose: Define a bridge between MOOKP, Boston KPro and newer mesoplants
Format: Round Table Discussion with panelist for case presentations
Topics:
- Variations to Boston KPRO technique in specific cases
- What brings up the need for OOKP?
- OOKP in Europe/Asia vs OOKP in America
- How to bridge the Gap between Boston KPro and MOOKP?
- Materials in artificial corneas/keratoprosthesis
- New devices and where do they fit in the spectrum of artificial corneas
Presentations: each topic will begin with a short introductory talk followed by a moderated discussion session of panelist and audience based on short presented cases.
If you wish
– to attend, please email: jmparel@med.miami.edu
– to present your results, please email: jnapoli@hotmail.com & gamescua@med.miami.edu
Best regards,
Jose de la Cruz MD, Guillermo Amescua MD, Eduardo Alfonso MD, Jean-Marie Parel, PhD
NB: Lunch will be provided at noon, and presentations start at 1pm.
The KPro Round Table will be held the day before the start of “CURSO”, the XLI Inter-American Course in Clinical Ophthalmology that starts on Sunday October 20.
11th KPro Study Group Meeting
October 23, 2017 by admin · Leave a Comment
11th KPro Study Group Meeting in Barcelona
Preliminary Program
11th KPro Study Group Overview
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11th KPro Study Group Program
This is a biannual meeting of keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea) experts and aficionados all over the world, whereby we exchange our experiences, new techniques and results of research for end stage corneal diseases which are otherwise deemed to blindness.
Organizer: Instituto Barraquer
Date: June 15, 2018 (time schedule: morning session 8:00 – 1:30 pm, afternoon session 3:00 – 7:00 pm) one day before the World Ophthalmology Congress
Venue: Cuatrecasas Auditorium, Avenida Diagonal 191, Barcelona (click for photos)
Meeting Title: Pearls and Pitfalls in KPro Surgery
Meeting Language: English (no simultaneous translation available)
Objectives of the meeting: The aim of the meeting is to teach beginning or aspiring KPro surgeons on how to make insightful decision making on when and when not to do KPro surgery, to wisely choose which kind of KPro for individual cases and to effectively manage, as well as prevent possible complications. Moreover, expert surgeons will impart their long-term experience.
Registration fee: 100 Euros (Register NOW)
Abstracts: will be organized as per topics 1-12 below and moderated by the 1st speaker and the organizers. Several abstracts have already been received and are under review. Meeting time and seats are limited. Please send your abstract as soon as possible. Submission Deadline: April 15, 2018
Topics:
- Epidemiological studies and updates on present KPros – Jose de la Cruz (15 mins)
- Mesoplants: where are we headed for? – Jean Marie Parel (15 mins)
- When and Which KPro? – Christopher Liu (15 mins)
- KPros in pediatric cases – Kathryn Colby (15 mins)
- The Boston KPro alternatives for end-stage corneal blindness – James Chodosh (15 mins)
- Prevention and management of KPro complications – Geetha Iyer (15 mins)
- Glaucoma and KPro: how to approach the dilemma – Mona Dagher (15 mins)
- Retina and KPro: surgical techniques – Jeroni Nadal (15 mins)
- Visual loss thru time: why and how? – Rafael Barraquer (15 mins)
- Struggling with the KPro, a rookie´s point of view – Alja Crnej (10 mins), Mohammed Baghat (10 mins)
- Video symposium – participants are asked to send short videos (3 minutes each) on surgical pearls or special techniques to be commented on by a panel of experts.
- “Ask the Experts” moderated by Claes Dohlman
– Primary Boston KPro, why not? – Esen Akpek (10 mins)
– 40 years’ experience with tibia keratoprosthesis – Jose Temprano (10 mins)
– When to reconstruct the ocular surface and when to do KPro – José Luis Güell (10 mins)
– MOOKP in the U.S.A. – Victor Perez (10 mins)
– Different folks, different strokes: reconstructing techniques for extruded KPros – Jaime Etxebarria (10 mins)
– Treatment strategies to fight corneal blindness: let’s give KPro a break – Guillermo Amescua (10 mins)
In honor of late pioneers in keratoprosthesis surgery:
- Giancarlo Falcinelli Memorial Lecture – Giovanni Falcinelli (10 mins)
- Joaquin Barraquer Memorial Lecture – Elena Barraquer (10 mins)
Organizers and contacts:
For the Centro de Oftalmologia Barraquer
Maria Fideliz De la Paz & Victor Charoenrook
lizeldelapaz@yahoo.com charoenrook@barraquer.com
For the KPro Study Group Steering Committee
Jose de la Cruz, Secretary General & Jean-Marie Parel, Assoc. SG
jnapoli@hotmail.com jmparel@med.miami.edu
In Memoriam of Professor Giancarlo Falcinelli
September 26, 2017 by admin · Leave a Comment
Jean-Marie Parel, Giancarlo Falcinelli, Emmanuel Lacombe
To all KPro aficionados
In Memoriam of Professor Giancarlo Falcinelli
Dear All,
It is with great sadness that I have to write these few words. Our dear friend and colleague Professor Giancarlo Facinelli, who taught us the art of MOOKP for a third of a century, passed yesterday in his home in Rome.
Giancarlo was instrumental in the formation of the KPro Study Group: he participated to the 1st meeting held in 1992 at the Bascom Palmer and all subsequent meetings until his health no longer allowed him to travel.
Giancarlo was the most generous man I have ever met and deeply cared for his patients whom he gave his home address, phone and mobile numbers so they could reach him whenever they needed. Most of his patients lived in different cities and many couldn’t afford transportation and accommodation in Rome, so he took care of that personally.
Professor Facinelli taught MOOKP at many institutions, including the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. He would train surgeons and OR staff and when a patient was scheduled, he would fly from Rome to assist our surgeon and his team in the operating room. He would fly back whenever we had a new patient. Giancarlo did this many times and never asked for compensation or reimbursement of this travel expenses. Giancarlo was also open to suggestions and improvements of the technique and instrumentation. He loved being in the research center, teaching scientists about the patient needs and participated to the development and testing of several novel devices and studies.
Many of Giancarlo’s pupils sent emails recognizing Giancarlo’s impact on their life and there are too many to print here but maxillofacial surgeon Yoh Sawatari summarize them most:
Dr. Falcinelli was the true definition of a healthcare professional. His compassion, surgical skills, generosity, knowledge, and his experience had such a tremendous impact on the world. Although I only had the privilege of working with Professor Falcinelli on 3 occasions, the positive impact he had on the specialty of OMFS in America, my career, and me as an individual will always be precious. I will always remember the hug he gave me when we completed the MOOKP surgery. I will miss him very much.
The funeral will be held Wednesday 27 at 9 am in the church Regina Pacis, Piazza Rosolino Pilo, 00152 Rome, Italy
The KPro Study Group lost a great and unique member.
For the Steering Committee
Jean-Marie Parel
