International Society of Refractive Surgery

Name

International Society of Refractive Surgery

Legal name

International Society of Refractive Surgery

Website

https://isrs.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The International Society of Refractive Surgery is an independent global professional medical society serving refractive, cataract, cornea, and lens surgeons worldwide through membership, the Journal of Refractive Surgery, educational courses, and international meetings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Society / Ophthalmology Education

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refractive Surgery Systems (Excimer/Femtosecond Lasers, Phakic IOL Systems, Wavefront/Guidance) (HLAHAJAG), Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO)

Keywords

• Refractive surgery education
• Ophthalmology professional society
• Cataract surgery training
• Medical professional membership
• Cornea lens surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) is a global professional medical society that advances refractive, cataract, cornea, and lens surgery through membership-based education, research dissemination, and innovation programs. It sells annual memberships granting access to the Journal of Refractive Surgery, webinars, multimedia library, and ASSORT calculators, and offers standalone specialized courses such as the International Specialization Course, the Zaldivar ICL Immersive Course, and joint courses with London Vision Clinic.

Product overview

The International Society of Refractive Surgery is a professional medical society rather than a commercial product company. Its core offerings center on professional education and resources for refractive/cataract/cornea surgeons, including the Journal of Refractive Surgery (the leading peer-reviewed publication in the field), a surgeon finder tool for patients, monthly curated content via Refractive Surgery Outlook, the ASSORT Website Calculators for astigmatism analysis, a multimedia video library, and webinars. The society also organizes an annual RefracTech Challenge innovation program and hosts various international meetings and courses. Membership provides access to these exclusive benefits and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISRS Membership Annual membership subscription for ophthalmologists providing access to exclusive benefits including the Journal of Refractive Surgery, Refractive Surgery Outlook newsletter, webinars, multimedia library, ASSORT calculators, and member certificate for lifelong learning commitment.
• International Specialization Course in Refractive, Cornea and Lens Surgery University-certified specialization program awarding 20 ECTS credits, led by Prof. Dr. Jorge L. Alió and Dr. Jorge L. Alió del Barrio, with over 800 satisfied alumni, 11 years of experience, and more than 300 hours of learning activities.
• Zaldivar ICL Immersive Course 2026 Immersive EVO ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) training program led by Doctors Roberto and Roger Zaldivar at the Zaldivar Institute in Mendoza, Argentina, scheduled November 19-21, 2026; ISRS members receive 30% discount.
• ISRS + London Vision Clinic Course Series Series of joint educational courses with London Vision Clinic covering LASIK, PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision, and SMILE procedures, drawing on experience from over 30,000 LASIK, 12,000 PRESBYOND, and 10,000 SMILE procedures; events scheduled in Mexico (August 2026), Manila (September 2026), and London (May 2026).
• Forefront Refractive Surgery Course Course covering practical details and surgical pearls for LASIK, presbyopia correction (PRESBYOND), and SMILE procedures; ISRS members receive 10% discount.
• ISRS-TSCRS Joint Annual Meeting 2026 Joint annual congress with the Taiwanese Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, scheduled July 17-19, 2026 at Hall 2, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Taipei, Taiwan.

Quantifiable outcome

• International Specialization Course has over 800 satisfied alumni with 11 years of experience
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BRASCRS – Brazilian Association of Cataract and Refractive SurgerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRASCRS is a key partner organization representing the Brazilian refractive surgery community. ISRS leadership including Dr. Márcia Guimarães and Dr. Ricardo Guimarães have contributed significantly to the early development of ISRS. BRASCRS 2026 was an outstanding meeting with strong ISRS presence.
• ESCRS – European Society of Cataract and Refractive SurgeonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCRS is a major European partner for cataract and refractive surgery education. ISRS collaborates with ESCRS for joint representation at annual congresses including ESCRS 2026 at Excel London.
• TSCRS – Taiwanese Society of Cataract & Refractive SurgeonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISRS has a joint annual meeting partnership with TSCRS. The 2026 ISRS-TSCRS Joint Annual Meeting will be held July 17-19, 2026 at Hall 2, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
• London Vision CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership announced January 2026 between ISRS and London Vision Clinic for educational courses. Joint events scheduled including Mexico (August 2026), Manila (September 2026), and London (May 2026). London Vision Clinic brings experience from over 30,000 LASIK, 12,000 PRESBYOND, and 10,000 SMILE procedures.
• ARIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional ophthalmology society partner organization.
• Zaldivar InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Zaldivar Course is a prestigious training program led by Doctors Roberto and Roger Zaldivar, world-renowned experts in EVO ICL lens technology. Held at the renowned Zaldivar Institute in Mendoza, Argentina. ISRS members receive 30% discount on the course.
• AlconminorOthersSponsor of ISRS activities and initiatives in the ophthalmology space.
• STAAR SurgicalminorOthersSponsor of ISRS activities. Company specializing in refractive surgery products including ICL lenses.
• BauschminorOthersSponsor of ISRS activities and initiatives.
• ZiemerminorOthersSponsor of ISRS activities in the ophthalmology technology space.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO): Global research society for vision and ophthalmology. Comparable as a peer-reviewed-publishing and annual-meeting society serving ophthalmic researchers and clinicians, though broader in basic-science scope than ISRS.
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS): Premier US professional society for anterior segment surgeons, with overlapping mission on cataract and refractive surgery education. Comparable in membership model, annual meeting scale, and industry sponsorship profile.
• European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS): The leading European professional society for cataract and refractive surgeons. Directly comparable to ISRS in mission, membership model, and educational programming; also an active ISRS partner for joint annual meetings.

Regional players

• Taiwan Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (TSCRS): Taiwanese society for cataract and refractive surgeons, hosting the 2026 ISRS-TSCRS Joint Annual Meeting in Taipei. Comparable in mission and programming but focused on the Taiwan market.
• Brazilian Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (BRASCRS): Leading Brazilian society for cataract and refractive surgeons and a core ISRS partner. Highly comparable mission and program model, but primarily serves Brazil and Portuguese-speaking markets.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): The largest US ophthalmology professional society and ISRS's former parent organization (until 2025 separation). Overlapping scope on refractive surgery education, but with much broader clinical and policy agenda across all ophthalmic subspecialties.
• International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO): Global umbrella body for ophthalmology societies. Comparable as an international ophthalmic organization with educational and standards-setting roles, though focused on policy, training standards, and global eye health rather than refractive-surgery-specific education.
• Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO): Regional umbrella ophthalmology society serving the Asia-Pacific region. Comparable in international society structure and congress model, with broader subspecialty coverage than ISRS.
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth): UK professional body for ophthalmologists with educational, examination, and training mandates. Comparable as a society driving ophthalmic education and standards, though broader in clinical scope and tied to UK training pathways.
• Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO): Continental ophthalmology society covering the Americas with educational congresses and subspecialty programming. Comparable in international society structure and partnership-based delivery, with broader geographic and clinical scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tscrs_tw
• Xx.com/ISRS_AAO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-society-of-refractive-surgery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Society of Refractive Surgery