Award Lectures

The Epstein Lecture is dedicated to the late Dr Edward Epstein, who was the South African pioneer in the development of pseudophakic correction in cataract surgery in the fifties. He was a founding member and honorary member of the SASCRS.

This lecture is given at a Congress of the SASCRS by an ophthalmologist who has distinguished himself by outstanding international and local contributions for the advancement of cataract or refractive surgery.

The purpose of this Award is to recognize an Ophthalmologist’s consistent participation as an Ophthalmologist, in charitable activities, indigent care, community service and other humanitarian activities.

The qualifying criteria:

• The nominee must have demonstrated a pattern of humanitarian service in Africa over a period of several years.  Qualifying service might include, but not limited to, care for the indigent, service in inner city or rural African locations with disadvantaged persons, care for underprivileged individuals of specific racial or ethnic background and care in settings of high risk to the Ophthalmologist.
• Service must have been above and beyond the usual service commitment required of an Ophthalmologist.
• The service should have entailed personal sacrifice on the part of the Ophthalmologist.
• Only one such Award may be given to an individual during his or her lifetime.

 Past Recipients

• 1999  Roberto Zaldivar, MD
• 2001  Emanuel S Rosen, MD
• 2003  Michael Knorz, MD
• 2005  Spencer Thornton, MD
• 2009  Dr Hubrecht Brody
• 2013  Dr Frik Potgieter
• 2015  Prof Andries A Stulting
• 2017  Prof Robert C Stegmann
• 2019  Prof Marié-José Tassignon
• 2022  Guy M Kezirian, MD
• 2024  Prof Steve A. Arshinoff BSc MD FRCSC 

Dr Lucio Buratto, Italy

Congratulations to Dr Lucio Buratto for being elected by the SASCRS to deliver the 2026 Epstein Memorial Lecture.

Dr Lucio Buratto (born in Cornuda, Italy) graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Milan (1970) and specialized in Ophthalmology (1973). He currently practices in Milan, focusing on cataract and refractive surgery.

A pioneer of modern ophthalmology, Dr. Buratto introduced phacoemulsification in Italy (1978), posterior chamber IOLs (1979), visco-surgery (1981), and Nd:YAG laser applications (1982).

In 1980, he conceived and organized *VideoCataract*, the world’s first ophthalmic congress with live surgical transmission. For more than four decades, this meeting has been a central platform for education, featuring live surgeries, debates, and the participation of hundreds of leading international surgeons. VideoCataract pioneered the use of real-time surgical teaching and remains one of the most influential forums for cataract and refractive surgery.

In 1989, he performed the world’s first intrastromal excimer laser keratomileusis for high myopia, laying the foundation for LASIK. In 1996, he developed the “Down Up LASIK” (superior hinge), a global standard. He also pioneered the bimanual irrigation/aspiration technique for cataract surgery (1992).

Dr. Buratto has organized more than 55 international congresses, including satellite live surgeries connecting over 20 countries across four continents (1984–2001). He has performed live teaching surgeries in more than 300 congresses worldwide.

He has published 91 books (in multiple languages) on cataract, refractive surgery, glaucoma, and corneal surgery, co-authored 23 volumes, produced 32 educational videos, and authored more than 170 scientific papers. He is frequently featured in the media and has been active in national prevention campaigns on cataract, keratoconus, and maculopathy.

He has received numerous prestigious awards, including: ASCRS Best New Technique Prize (1992), Barraquer Prize (2000), ESCRS Binkhorst Medal (2004), Fyodorov Prize (2006), AICCER Medal (2017), David Dulaney Awardfrom AECOS (2018), SOI Gold Medal (2019), Charamis Medal (2023) Heritage Lecture ESCRS 2023, and ESCRS Lifetime Achievement Award at ESCRS (2025).

He served as first president of AICCER ( Italian Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery )and honorary member of several societies, and has been on the editorial boards of Ocular Surgery News, Eye World, and Eurotimes.

Through his surgical innovations, educational initiatives, and prolific contributions, Dr. Lucio Buratto is internationally recognized as one of the leading pioneers in cataract and refractive surgery.

Lucio Buratto, MD – scientific Committee Okyo

The Kritzinger Safari Award Lecture is a prestigious named lecture in honour of the late Dr Michiel Kritzinger.  He distinguished himself as a pioneer in modern refractive surgery and identified the need to promote the subspecialty.   As part of his efforts to further the field of refractive sugery, he originally instituted the lecture as the “Safari Lecture” in 1999 during a local meeting of the ISRS in Swaziland.  After his passing in April 2000, the lecture was renamed to the Kritzinger Safari Lecture. 

Recipients of this award lecture have to exhibit the same character traits which Dr Kritzinger was known for, namely to be an original thinker and innovator, demonstrate the same leadership and perseverance, as well as show the energy so typical of him.  Furthermore the recipient has to make a significant contribution to the field of refractive surgery.

 Past Recipients

• 1999  Dr med Klaus Ditzen
• 2000  Prof J Charles Casebeer, MD
• 2001  Prof Andries A Stulting
• 2002  Prof Dr med Michael Knorz
• 2003  Mr Charles Claoué
• 2005  George O Waring III, MD
• 2007  Stephen Updegraff, MD
• 2009  Dr Johan A De Lange
• 2011  Spencer P Thornton, MD
• 2015  Guy M Kezirian, MD
• 2017  Prof Hideharu Fukasaku, MD
• 2019  Mr Arthur B Cummings
• 2022  Prof Dr med Thomas Kohnen, MD
• 2024  Mr Glenn Carp (UK)

Prof Dan Z Reinstein, UK

MD MA(Cantab) FRCSC DABO FRCOphth FEBO

Congratulations to Prof Dan Reinstein for being elected by the SASCRS to deliver the 2026 Kritzinger Safari Award Lecture.

Over his 30-year career, Professor Dan Reinstein has built an international reputation as a uniquely experienced and pioneering refractive surgeon.

Over the last three decades, Prof Reinstein has dedicated himself solely to Laser Eye Surgery. Prof Reinstein graduated from Cambridge University. He underwent bioengineering Fellowships at Cornell University and Ophthalmologic Surgical training at Mount Sinai in New York. His Corneal Fellowship and Refractive Surgical Fellowship training took place at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He is a board-certified Ophthalmologist in the USA and Canada as well as the UK, and holds professorships in the UK, New York and Paris.

A few stats on Prof Reinstein

Prof Reinstein has:

• Delivered over 1400 lectures at professional meetings on five continents.
• Been a moderator or panelist for over 110 scientific international meeting panels.
• Published over 225 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.
• Written the definitive textbook on SMILE.
• Contributed or written over 52 book chapters / published proceedings.
• Written 252 articles for the ophthalmic press.
• Been rewarded with many international awards in ophthalmology and refractive surgery, including the prestigious José I. Barraquer Award, which is considered as the Oscar Award in refractive surgery.

A pioneer in Laser Eye Surgery

After qualifying as a LASIK surgeon, Prof Reinstein joined a research project at Cornell University, New York. There he discovered that ultrasound could be used to scan the surface of the cornea to within one micron–1/1000 of a millimetre. This led to the development of the Artemis Insight 100™ scanner–now the world’s most accurate corneal scanner. Immediately he became the only person in the world equipped to identify the causes of complications in early Laser Eye Surgery. Twenty years later he participated in pioneering the use of OCT for epithelial measurements. Epithelial mapping is now recognised as a gold standard for evaluating candidates for refractive surgery. His work with the Insight 100 scanner has led to the most accurate method of choosing the optimal size of ICL to be implanted into the eye.

Leading innovations in vision correction

Prof Reinstein is the inventor of PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision, a treatment designed to correct presbyopia (age-related loss of near vision). PRESBYOND combines the benefits of corneal laser surgery with the brain’s natural ability to adapt, providing patients with a continuous range of vision – from near to far – without the need for reading glasses. Prof Reinsten has had the procedure himself and has performed PRESBYOND on over 30 refractive surgeons from all over the world, who are now offering this procedure to their own patients.

He was also instrumental in the development of SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) and played a key role in the enhancements that led to the VISUMAX 800 and SMILE Pro in his role as the lead consultant for ZEISS, contributing to the refinement of this minimally invasive laser eye surgery technique that has since become a major advancement in refractive surgery worldwide.

Prof Reinstein in the media

Prof Reinstein has appeared as an interviewee on BBC Breakfast, This Morning, Sky News, and BBC Radio 4, as well as being the Laser Eye Surgery specialist for Extreme Makeover UK and 10 Years Younger. He has also been featured in both The Times and The Sunday Times Magazine and is often called upon by other media outlets for his expert input.

In fact, his own laser eye surgery featured on the BBC The One Show back in 2018, performed by laser eye surgeon: Mr Glenn Carp

Outside the clinic…

Away from surgery, Prof Reinstein is an accomplished jazz saxophonist, and studied for two years on a performance scholarship at the Berklee College of Music, Boston. He still plays regularly at the 606 Club in Chelsea, London, and invites all his patients to come along.

You can read more about Professor Reinstein’s career path, or download his updated full CV.

Professor Dan Reinstein

 Past Recipients

• 2015  Mark A Terry MD (USA)
• 2017  Prof Harminder S Dua (UK)
• 2019  Lion’s Eye Institute
• 2024  Prof Michael W Belin, MD

Dr David Gunn

Congratulations to Dr David Gunn for being elected by the Cornea SA to deliver the 2026 Cornea Lecture.

Dr David Gunn, MBBS (Hons I), BSc, CertLRS, FRANZCO, is a Brisbane based ophthalmologist specialising in medical and surgical diseases of the cornea, complex cataract surgery and laser and refractive eye surgery.

He was educated in Brisbane and graduated from The University of Queensland Bachelor of Science and Medicine programs awarded with First Class Honours. He completed his medical residency and ophthalmology training throughout Queensland and was awarded the prestigious K. G. Howsam gold medal for obtaining the highest results in the Australian and New Zealand final ophthalmology examinations.

Dr Gunn undertook fellowship training at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital followed by further subspecialty training in corneal, advanced cataract and refractive surgery at the renowned Bristol Eye Hospital.

Dr Gunn practices at the Queensland Eye Institute and holds a public appointment at the Mater Hospital Brisbane where he also offers intermediate surgery to uninsured patients.

He is active in eye disease research and publishes in local and international medical journals. He is involved in the training of surgical registrars, medical students and nurses and is an honorary faculty member of The University of Queensland.

Dr David Gunn‘s interest in ophthalmology began at an early age. Since then, he has celebrated a number of professional achievements, including receiving the RANZCO Howsam Medal at the end of his ophthalmology registrar training.