Refractive Surgery Alliance

What Refractive Surgery Alliance does

The Refractive Surgery Alliance (RSA) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It serves refractive surgeons, ophthalmologists, ophthalmology residents and fellows, PhD researchers, and medical students across all seven continents, with stated member presence in at least 36 countries. RSA's core function is to deliver education, mentorship, and practice-support to its members through a structured portfolio: a one-year Fellowship Network with optional associate year, an education suite comprising RSA InSight (video), RSA Fireside Chat, RSA Journal Club, RSA Grand Rounds, and the RSA Ophthalmology Residents Webinar Series, and a public surgeon locator that channels patient referrals to members. The organization explicitly operates without corporate sponsors in its educational content.

RSA generates revenue exclusively from tiered annual membership dues billed each January, ranging from $50 for residents, fellows, and medical students to $800 for physicians/surgeons in their fifth year or more of practice, with intermediate tiers by years in practice and discounted categories for emeritus, full-time military, and full-time charitable organization members. Its commercial layer extends beyond dues into a Preferred Vendors Program that delivers member discounts on Oculus diagnostic equipment (Pentacam HR, AXL Wave, Corvis STL), ePRO Connect practice management software, ALPHAEON patient financing (50%+ off standard rates), and accessiBe web accessibility tooling. Operations are lean (1–10 employees), governance is physician-led (President Renato Ambrosio Jr, MD, PhD; Chair of Executive Committee Guy M. Kezirian, MD, MBA), and there is no disclosed external investment or parent organization.

Name

Refractive Surgery Alliance

Legal name

Refractive Surgery Alliance Society

Website

https://refractivealliance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Refractive Surgery Alliance is a nonprofit professional membership society founded in 2020 that serves refractive surgeons, ophthalmologists, residents, fellows, and medical students globally through tiered membership dues, a fellowship network, and a multi-format educational program suite.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Professional Society

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAKAKAF

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

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Ophthalmology & Optometry

SECONDARYEDAOAJAK

Ophthalmic/Optometric Assisting

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Healthcare Allied & Clinical Support Training

Keywords

• Refractive surgery education
• Ophthalmology professional society
• Physician membership programs
• Medical fellowship programs
• Refractive surgeon networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: RSA generates revenue through tiered annual membership dues based on years in practice, credential type, and professional status. Members include physicians/surgeons at various career stages, doctors of philosophy, residents, fellows, medical students, emeritus members, full-time military, and charitable organization members. Dues range from $50 to $800 annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Refractive Surgery Alliance (RSA) is a professional membership society that delivers refractive surgery education, fellowship training, and practice-support services to ophthalmologists and refractive surgeons worldwide. It sells tiered annual memberships and offers structured programs including the RSA Fellowship Network, Grand Rounds, Journal Club, Fireside Chat, the Ophthalmology Residents Webinar Series, and InSight educational videos, along with a Surgeon Locator directory and a Preferred Vendors program providing members exclusive pricing on equipment, financing, CRM software, and accessibility solutions.

Product overview

The Refractive Surgery Alliance is a professional membership organization (not a software product company) offering a portfolio of educational programs and services for ophthalmology and refractive surgery professionals. The core offerings include the RSA Fellowship Network (a one-year fellowship program with optional second year), RSA Education Online (encompassing the Ophthalmology Residents Webinar Series, Journal Club, Grand Rounds, Fireside Chat, and InSight video resources), and the RSA Preferred Vendors Program connecting members with vetted vendor partners. Additional services include a surgeon locator directory and membership renewal management. These programs are designed to advance the field of refractive surgery through education, mentorship, and peer collaboration across all seven continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RSA Membership Tiered annual professional membership in the Refractive Surgery Alliance Society, granting ophthalmologists, refractive surgeons, residents, fellows, medical students, and PhDs access to educational programs, fellowship opportunities, mentorship, and preferred vendor pricing.
• RSA Fellowship Network A one-year traditional fellowship program followed by an optional year as an Associate in a host practice, with shared resources across affiliated programs following the standardized RSA Fellowship Curriculum.
• RSA Grand Rounds Webinar Series A curated certificate program of structured webinars by top optometrists and ophthalmologists providing a comprehensive overview of major topics in refractive surgery, directed at collaborative care team members; participants can earn a Certificate of Completion and become eligible for Clinical Internships.
• RSA Journal Club Webinar Series A webinar series providing interactive sessions with thought leaders behind key innovations in refractive surgery, presented without corporate sponsors and with recordings available for those unable to attend live.
• RSA Fireside Chat Series A long-format interview series hosted by Chuck Williamson, MD, featuring insights from RSA members on topics, technologies, and strategies essential for refractive surgery success; content is exclusive to RSA members.
• RSA Ophthalmology Residents Webinar Series A certificate program of monthly webinars by globally recognized ophthalmologists and experts, jointly provided by RSA Society and the College of Refractive Surgery, directed at ophthalmology residents, fellows, and those in their first years of practice.
• RSA InSight An education initiative producing videos and digital resources in refractive surgery led by RSA faculty, provided as a public service.
• RSA Preferred Vendors Program A referral program connecting RSA members with established, quality vendors whose products support refractive surgery growth; vendors must meet RSA diligence and review standards, and members access preferred pricing.
• RSA Surgeon Locator A public searchable directory enabling patients to locate RSA member surgeons by geographic location, with detailed surgeon profiles and practice information across the United States and internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certificate programs for residents and fellows
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OculuscoreTechnology or IntegrationOculus is a preferred vendor of RSA, providing diagnostic equipment for anterior segment analysis. The Pentacam HR and AXL Wave devices are used for corneal imaging and diagnostics. RSA members receive exclusive preferred rates on Corvis STL, Pentacam HR, and Pentacam AXL Wave products. Founded in 2002, Oculus has established its Pentacam technology as the gold standard for anterior segment diagnostics worldwide.
• ePRO ConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationePRO Connect is the operating layer for modern ophthalmology practices, coordinating scheduling, patient communication, consult preparation, recovery continuity, referral visibility, reputation management, and performance insight. RSA members receive exclusive preferred rates on the platform, with additional pricing incentives for newly established practices and graduates of the RSA Fellowship Program.
• ALPHAEON Patient FinancingcoreTechnology or IntegrationAlphaeon Patient Financing provides patient financing solutions for refractive surgery practices. RSA selected Alphaeon to support member practices with financing options that remove cost barriers, increase procedure acceptance, and provide access to LASIK and premium IOLs. RSA members receive preferred pricing of 50% or more off standard provider rates across all Alphaeon plans.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Association (AMA): The largest US physician membership organization, providing a structural analog for how RSA operates as a specialty society. Not a direct competitor but illustrative of the professional society model RSA follows at a more specialized level.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): The largest US ophthalmology professional organization, serving all ophthalmologists including refractive surgeons through education, advocacy, and the annual AAO meeting. Comparable to RSA as a parent-style organization that overlaps with RSA's specialty, but operates at much broader scope and scale.

Direct peers

• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS): One of the largest US professional societies serving cataract and refractive surgeons with annual meetings, education, and advocacy. Directly comparable to RSA in target membership and educational programming, but with significantly larger scale and longer operating history.
• International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS): A division of the American Academy of Ophthalmology focused specifically on refractive surgery. Highly comparable to RSA as both serve refractive surgeons with education and research; notably, RSA President Renato Ambrosio Jr, MD currently serves as ISRS President, indicating tight overlap in mission and leadership.
• European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS): Europe's premier society for cataract and refractive surgeons, offering congresses, education, and clinical guidelines. Comparable to RSA as a peer professional society in the same specialty, with a primarily European footprint but global membership.
• American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS): A smaller, invitation-driven professional society focused on anterior segment surgery, including refractive surgery. Directly comparable to RSA as a niche society for refractive and lens-based surgeons, with similar educational programming and limited corporate sponsorship.

Emerging players

• Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society (OOSS): A society representing ambulatory surgery centers with ophthalmic focus, including refractive surgery. Adjacent to RSA's mission as it serves the surgical facility side of refractive care rather than individual surgeons, but touches the same ecosystem.
• College of Refractive Surgery: A newer refractive surgery education organization that co-produces the RSA Ophthalmology Residents Webinar Series. Directly comparable to RSA as a peer educational body, with formal partnership suggesting close strategic alignment.

Others

• Refractive Surgery Council: An educational nonprofit providing consumer-facing information about refractive surgery options. Related to RSA's mission in that it promotes refractive surgery broadly, but is positioned toward patient education rather than surgeon professional development.

Regional players

• Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO): A hemispheric ophthalmology organization serving the Americas with education and outreach. Comparable to RSA as a society serving ophthalmologists across multiple countries, with overlapping Latin American footprint where RSA has named members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refractive-surgery-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Refractive Surgery Alliance