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Roberto Zaldívar

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Roberto Zaldivar
Born (1957-05-27) May 27, 1957 (age 68)
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
NationalityArgentine
EducationNational University of Cuyo
OccupationOphthalmologist
OrganizationInstituto Zaldivar
Known forBioptics, phakic intraocular lens (ICL)
SpouseStella Gaibazzi
ChildrenMercedes Zaldivar, Roger Zaldivar
Websitewww.institutozaldivar.com

Roberto Zaldivar (born May 27, 1957) is an Argentine doctor of ophthalmology and a refractive surgeon.[1] He is credited with several breakthroughs in the use of laser to correct visual impairments.[2][3] Zaldivar is credited for a technique called bioptics, a term he introduced.[4] He is the president of the Instituto Zaldivar in Argentina,[5] and the founder and first president of the Argentine Society of Cataract and Refractive and Corneal Surgery.[6] He also introduced excimer laser technology to Latin America,[7] and was the first in the world to implant the first collamer implantable lens in a patient,[8][9] for which he has been considered a pioneer of phakic intraocular lenses (ICL).[3]

Career

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His father was Roger Eleazar Zaldivar, an ophthalmologist who founded the first cornea bank in Argentina and in 1959 inaugurated the Zaldivar Institute in the city of Mendoza, where the first corneal transplants in that country were performed.[10] [11] He was the first to bring and operate with a ruby laser in South America in 1961[6] and was president of the Argentine Council of Ophthalmology between 1972 and 1974.[12] Roberto was born in New Haven, Connecticut, while his father was pursuing a master's degree at Yale.[13]

Roger Eleazar Zaldivar was the dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Cuyo based in Mendoza, where Roberto studied Medicine between the ages of 16 and 22.[14][10] In 1983, he obtained Research to Prevent Blindness Scholarship, and that same year he completed a subspecialty in the anterior segment of eyeball in Boston, Massachusetts.[15][16] There, he attended to the Kennedy family, Arab sheikhs, and the presidents of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, and his opponent, Corazon Aquino.[17]

In 1985, he returned to Mendoza to work with his father at the Instituto Zaldivar in the anterior segment, including refractive surgery and cataract surgery.[10] In 1992, he became the second surgeon in the world to install and use the combined Excimer-Holmium laser equipment for myopia and hyperopia operations.[18][19]

On September 22, 1993, he was the first ophthalmologist in the world to perform surgery with phakic intraocular lenses (ICL), which correct refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.[20][3]

In 1996, he created a technique called "bioptics" which consists of combining the use of phakic intraocular lenses with laser surgery.[4] This development earned him the Innovators Lecture award in 2007, and he was the first Spanish-speaking physician to receive it.[21] Bioptics was considered by the International Society of Refractive Surgery, the German Ophthalmological Society, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology as one of the 17 innovations that marked a milestone in ophthalmology worldwide.[22]

Roberto Zaldivar was the first president of the Argentine Association of Refractive and Corneal Surgeons[6] and of the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC),[23] the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the International Society of Keratorefractive Surgery, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.[24]

Throughout his career, Zaldivar has attended to renowned figures, such as the actresses Susana Giménez and Graciela Borges; the former president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri; the journalist Bernardo Neustadt; the film director Juan José Campanella; the soccer players Diego Maradona, Enzo Francescoli, and Enzo Fernández; and the actors Ricardo Darín, Guillermo Francella, and Brad Pitt.[25][26][27][28][29]

In 1996, he opened a branch of the Instituto Zaldivar in Buenos Aires and in 2002 in Asunción, Paraguay. In 1990, he formed the Zaldivar Foundation, which provides support to patients without resources.[10][6]

Prizes and awards

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In 1998, he was the first non-resident specialist in the United States to receive the Lans Lecture award, granted by the International Society of Refractive Surgery.[30]

In 1999, he was distinguished by the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa with the Epstein Lecture Award.[31]

In 2002, he was recognized for his contributions to refractive surgery with the Robert Coles Memorial Lecture from the New York Academy of Medicine,[30] while in 2007, the International Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgeons awarded him the Innovators Lecture.[32]

In 2005, the Argentine Senate awarded him the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Honorary Mention, which distinguishes entrepreneurs who stand out for their work for the good of the community.[33]

In 2010, he received the Jan Worst Medal Lecture from the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC) of the United States. Between 2016 and 2018, Zaldivar was president of that institution.[34][35]

In 2012, he obtained the Rayner Medal Lecture from the United Kingdom and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.[36] In 2014, he won a Gold Medal from the Spanish Society of Implant-Refractive Ocular Surgery.[29] In 2017, he received the Benedetto Strampelli Medal from the Italian Ophthalmological Society[37] and the Gold Medal from the Indian Intra-ocular Implant and Refractive Surgery.[38][34]

In 2021, the Executive Committee of the Argentine Council of Ophthalmology awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Medal.[39] The following year, he was the first foreigner to be recognized by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery with the Steinert Refractive Lecture.[40] Also, the Italian Ophthalmological Society awarded him the Innovator Medal Lecture.[41]

In 2024, he was recognized for the third time as one of the 100 most influential ophthalmologists in the world by the English magazine The Ophthalmologist.[3] He had already been included in that list in 2019 and 2020.[42][25]

In July 2024, he and his son Roger Zaldivar received the Visionary Award from the American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS) for their work in the development of ICL.[43]

Personal life

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Roberto Zaldivar is married to Stella Gaibazzi. His daughter, Mercedes Zaldivar, is a lawyer, while his son Roger Zaldivar is also an ophthalmologist and is the medical director of the Instituto Zaldivar.[25][44]

References

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  1. ^ "Is Your Ophthalmologist A Refractive Surgeon?". Refractive Surgery Council. 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  2. ^ Admin, Mario (2015-12-17). "Roberto Zaldivar". Ophthalmology Innovation Source. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  3. ^ a b c d "Roberto Zaldivar". Power List. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  4. ^ a b "Bioptics popularity is on the rise - American Academy of Ophthalmology". 2007-04-03. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  5. ^ Wilson, James (2018-03-21). "Argentina: Mendoza eye surgeon's services prove top attraction". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  6. ^ a b c d "Zaldivar creó un software en Mendoza que analiza la calidad de las lágrimas y lo exportó al mundo". Los Andes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  7. ^ "Zaldivar, uno de los oftalmólogos más importantes del mundo". Diario El Sol Mendoza (in Spanish). 2020-03-30. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  8. ^ "Un médico argentino figura en el ranking de los 100 oftalmólogos más influyentes del mundo". www.ambito.com. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  9. ^ "STAAR Surgical celebrates 30th anniversary of Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL)". Ophthalmology Times. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  10. ^ a b c d Corradetti, Cecilia (2023-08-19). ""Es triste ver emigrar jóvenes talentos; podríamos tener un país rico y brillante". Roberto Zaldivar, el oftalmólogo que atendió a Susana Giménez y Brad Pitt". LA NACION (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  11. ^ "Murió Roger Zaldívar". infobae (in European Spanish). 2017-10-28. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  12. ^ "Institucional". Consejo Argentino de Oftalmología. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  13. ^ Wengrod, Jackie (2015-12-17). "Roberto Zaldivar". Ophthalmology Innovation Source. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  14. ^ "Entre las carretas y el láser". UNCUYO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  15. ^ "Fayad distinguió la trayectoria del oftalmólogo Roberto Zaldívar". Sitio Andino (in Spanish). 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  16. ^ "Royal Medal Lecturers" (PDF).
  17. ^ Testa, Valeria García (2012-10-19). ""Sueño con producir tecnología de punta"". Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  18. ^ "Distinción cumbre de la oftalmología mundial - ABC Revista - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  19. ^ "ESCRS:Heritage Archive - Timelines, Videos, & Interviews". www.escrs.org. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  20. ^ "Roberto Zaldivar became the first foreigner to receive the top prize in ophthalmology in the United States". infobae (in European Spanish). 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  21. ^ Corradetti, Cecilia (2022-05-05). "Orgullo cuyano. Roberto Zaldivar repasa su fascinante historia: "Elegí quedarme en el país y nunca me arrepentí"". LA NACION (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  22. ^ Czubaj, Fabiola (2007-06-28). "Un argentino, entre los 17 oftalmólogos innovadores". LA NACION (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  23. ^ "About". iiiclub.org. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  24. ^ "Roberto Zaldívar recibió prestigioso premio en Inglaterra". Uno Entre Rios. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  25. ^ a b c "El oftalmólogo mendocino que está entre los 100 más influyentes del mundo". Los Andes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  26. ^ "Roberto Zaldivar repasa su fascinante historia: "Regresé a Mendoza con 500 ideas nuevas para trabajar junto a mi padre" - Mendoza Today". mendozatoday.com.ar (in Spanish). 2023-12-03. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  27. ^ "Premiaron en Inglaterra a un oftalmólogo argentino". El Territorio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  28. ^ "Lentes multifocales, la nueva revolución de la medicina óptica - Salud - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  29. ^ a b Badaloni, Roxana (2023-01-11). "Roberto Zaldívar, el oftalmólogo que opera a celebridades y ayudó a ganar el Mundial". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  30. ^ a b "Premian en Estados Unidos al oftalmólogo Roberto Zaldívar". Diario Uno (in Spanish). 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  31. ^ "Award Lecturers | SASCRS Congress". sascrscongress.co.za. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  32. ^ "Galardón al Dr. Zaldívar". www.ambito.com. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  33. ^ "En voz baja". Clarín (in Spanish). 2005-06-12. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  34. ^ a b "Roberto Zaldivar". www.theophthalmologist.com. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  35. ^ "About". iiiclub.org. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  36. ^ "Rayner Medal Lecturers" (PDF).
  37. ^ "Strampelli Medal Lecture focuses on history and potential new developments of ICL". www.healio.com. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  38. ^ Lagos, Carlos (2020-03-29). "El mendocino Roberto Zaldívar fue elegido como uno de los oftalmólogos más importantes del mundo". Punto a Punto (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  39. ^ ""Con sentido de pertenencia"". Consejo Argentino de Oftalmología. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  40. ^ "Roberto Zaldivar became the first foreigner to receive the top prize in ophthalmology in the United States". infobae (in European Spanish). 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  41. ^ "Premiaron en Roma a Roberto Zaldivar por sus aportes a la innovación oftalmológica". Diario Uno (in Spanish). 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  42. ^ "The Ophthalmologist Power List 2020". theophthalmologist.com. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  43. ^ "AECOS Awards". AECOS. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  44. ^ "Roberto y Roger Zaldivar, padre e hijo que juegan de memoria en la oftalmología y en la vida". Diario Uno (in Spanish). 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
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