BALDESCHI Lelio

 

 
 

He qualified in Medicine cum laude at the University of Pisa, graduated in Ophthalmology cum laude at the
University of Florence, became PhD at the University of Amsterdam and nominated Honorary Fellow of the
European Board of Ophthalmology (FEBO) (international recognition of the title of specialist in
ophthalmology) in Paris.
He sub-specialized in oculoplastic and orbital surgery first under the guide of Richard Collin and Geoffrey
Rose at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and then with Leo Koornneef at the Orbital Centre, Department
of Ophthalmology, University of Amsterdam. Afterwards he has been a Consultant surgeon, Universitary
Docent (UD), and then nominated Director to the Orbital Centre, Departement of Ophthalmology,
University of Amsterdam.
At present he is Professor of Ophthalmology (“Chargé de Cours”), Director to the “Orbita and Ocular
Adnexal Service” and Coordinator to the PhD Council “Oculoplastic, Orbital, Lacrimal Diseases and Surgery”
at the Department of Ophthalmology, Catholic University of Louvain, at the Saint Luc Academic Hospital of
Brussels. Since 2011 he is professor at the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology (ESASO)
of Lugano, and member of the Examining Commission of the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO)
which grant the international recognized title of specialist in ophthalmology.
He was the mentor in oculoplastic, lacrimal and orbital surgery for medical students, residents in
ophthalmology, twenty international fellows, (as chair of the academic program for orbit and oculoplastics
at the university of Amsterdam 1997-2009 and at the Catholic University of Brussels 2012 up until present)
and had the opportunity to publish in the field of orbital and ocular adnexal diseases.
He has been member of the scientific advisory board, invited speaker and faculty member at a wide variety
of international congresses, and courses and had organised national and international congresses. He is
active reviewer and/or member of the editorial board of ophthalmic, maxillo-facial, and internal medicine
journals, Visiting Professor to several European, North American and Asian universities. Recently he further
contribute to the education of residents in ophthalmology worldwide as member of the Reviewer
Committee of the European Board of Ophthalmology for the review of the text book “Basic and Clinical
Science Course Section 7 “Orbit, Eyelids, and Lacrimal System” ed. 2018-19” of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology (official text book of the residency programme of Ophthalmology in the USA, and approved
for the same purpose in several other countries worldwide, and by international organisations, such as the
EBO itself.
Since the beginning of his career he scored several national and international prizes an
recognitions: the Tosco-Umbro-Emiliano-Marchigiana Society of Ophthalmology (STUEMO) award
1994; Winner of the “Young grant 1996” of Italian Society of Ophthalmology (SOI); Winner of the
Dutch Society of Ophthalmology (NOG) Award 1998; awarded with the annual “Jack Crowford
Lecture”, at mount Sinai Hospital University of Toronto, Toronto Canada, 2004; awarded with the
special guest lecture at the annual meeting of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery, Chicago, IL, 2010; elected among the three Honorary Members of the
Asian Pacific Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (APSOPRS) Singapore, 2012;
winner of “the Francesco Colangelo Award” 2013; “Exceptional Reviewer 2014” tributed by the
journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (IOVS) in 2015; winner of the “Highly
Commended in Surgery 2018” Medical Book Awards by the British Medical Association (BMA);
awarded with “The Lecture of Surgery 2020”, at the Annual Forum of The Royal Academy of
Medicine of Belgium, Brussels, 20 September 2020; awarded with “The Jack Mustadè Lecture
2020” of the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (maximal


scientific honour tributed by the society); The Renato Frezzotti medal lecture of the Italian Society
of Ophthalmology 2022 (maximal scientific honour of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology); “The
Richard Fan Distinguished Premier Lectureship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences”, Singapore
2023. Prize presented by The Honorable Minister of Foreign affairs of Singapore Dr Vivian
Balakrishnan, Ophthalmologist; Guest of Honour, and winner of the “International OPAI
International Oration Award 2024” (the highest award given by OPAI -Oculoplastic Association of
India, every year to an international faculty of repute); he received the most prestigious award for
an Italian ophthalologist the “Medaglia d’Oro – Maestri dell’Oftalmologia Italiana SOI 2024” by the
Italian Society of Ophthalmology (SOI).
He is member of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology (SOI), European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS), European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER), he is Honorary
Member of the Asia Pacific Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (APSOPRS), has been
Secretary (2011-2014) and President (2014-2017) of the International (World) Society of Dacryology and
Dry Eye (ISD&DE), President for two terms (2010-2012 and 2013-2015) of the Italian Society of Ophthalmic
Plastic Surgery (SICOP), Secretary for two terms (2014-2017 and 2018-2021) of the European Group on
Graves’ Orbitopathy (EUGOGO). Currently he is the President of the European Group on Graves’
Orbitopathy (EUGOGO), Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Ophthalmic Plastic
Surgery (SICOP), Associated Editor for orbit, oculoplastic, lacrimal diseases and adult strabismus of the
European Journal of Ophthalmology.
He achieved the Italian “Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN)” Qualification 06/F2 as full professor
(“professore di prima fascia / professore ordinario”) in Ophthalmology. He is GCP (good clinical practice)
certified and as that principal investigators (PI) in on going multicentre clinical trials.
(invited lectures n. 340; SCOPUS score (updated 09/2024): number of bibliographic citations: 4938;
H-index:28);

 

Recent plenary, keynote, and named international invited lectures:

  • “The multifaceted clinical presentation of Graves Orbitopathy” Opening key note lecture by the President
    at the bi-annual International Teaching Course of EUGOGO, University of Warsaw, Poland, 18 and 19
    October 2024.
  • The “OPAI International Oration Award 2024”: “The role of orbital surgery in Graves’ Orbitopathy in the
    era of biologics” and key note lectures “Improving the safety of orbital surgery” and “Orbital
    Rhabdomiosarcomas“ Annual meeting of Oculoplastic Association of India, Jaipur 27-29 September 2024.
  • “Orbital inflamations”, “Graves’ orbitopathy diagnosis and treatment”, “Orbital Oncology”. At the “Orbital,
    Lacrimal and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Module” Masterclass, by the European School for Advanced
    Studies in Ophthalmology (ESASO) of Lugano Switzerland, Madrid, Spain 6-8 June 2024.
  • “My search of evidence in lacrimal surgery” Opening Key Note lecture by the Past President at the ISD-DE,
    Meeting of the International (World) Society of Dacryology and Dry Eye, London, County Hall, 29th to 31st
    May 2024
    -“The Enduring Role for Surgery in Thyroid Eye Disease: What’s to Come?” Innovate Thyroid Eye Disease
    Symposium organized by the University of Stanford, Napa, California, USA, April 26-28, 2024
    -“Pediatric orbital oncology: therapeutic challenges” Orbita Course, 23-25 November 2023, Ludwig
    Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.

-“Biopsy and Debulking: Minimal invasive approaches in the orbit” Annual congress of the German Society
of Ophthalmology (DOG), Berlin Germany, 28 September 2023

  • Organizer and Chairman of the Invited Symposium “Update on Graves’ Orbitopathy” Congress 2023 of the
    European Society of Ophthalmology, (SOE) Prague, Czech Republic, 15-17 June 2023.
  • The Richard Fan Distinguished Premier Lectureship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciencies: “Improving the
    safety of orbital surgery” First Asia-Pacific Orbital Diseases and Thyroid Eye Disease Meeting, organized by
    The International Thyroid Eye Disease Society (ITEDS), College of Ophthalmologist and Chapter
    Endocrinologists Singapore, Singapore 26-27 May 2023. Prize presented by The Honorable Minister of
    Foreign affairs of Singapore Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Ophthalmologist.
  • Master Class lectures in “Orbital Oncology” and “Graves’ orbitopathy” at the “Orbital, Lacrimal and
    Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Module”, Masterclass by the European School for Advanced Studies in
    Ophthalmology (ESASO) of Lugano Switzerland, Lisbon, Portugal 15-18 May 2023.
  • “Graves orbitopathy a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge” Key note lecture at the first congress of the
    World Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic surgery (WSOPRAS) Dubai, United Arab
    Emirates (UAE), 05-07 May 2023.
  • “The Renato Frezzotti Medal Lecture of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology 2022” (maximal scientific
    honour tributed by SOI) : “Orbital diseases” Annual Congress of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology (S.O.I),
    Rome, Italy 16-19 November 2022.
  • “The Jack Mustardé Lecture 2020”: (maximal scientific honor tributed by the European Society of
    Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery). Title “Graves’ orbitopathy a disease known for 2500 years”,
    lecture postponed at the 40th ESOPRS annual meeting, Nice, France, 15-17 September 2022 because of Sars
    Cov-2 pandemic.
  • “When is enough steroids sufficient? Congestive Graves Orbitopathy and its treatment”. Joint symposium
    European Thyroid Association (ETA) – American Thyroid association (ATA) – European Group on Graves
    Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) on the medical management of Graves’ Orbitopathy at the 44 annual meeting of
    ETA, Brussels, Belgium 10-13 September 2022.
  • “Pediatric orbital fractures: the orbital surgeon perspective” invited Symposium of the International
    Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus Council “Eye Trauma in Children” at the World Congress of
    Ophthalmology (WOC) 9-12 September 2022 (virtual)
  • “Guidelines for the medical and surgical treatment of Graves orbitopathy” London, The Royal Society of
    Medicine, 13 January 2022.
  • “Personalized decompression surgery: experience from the west” joint webinar “ Therapeutic, Technical,
    and Translational updates in Thyroid Eye Disease: east meet west” of the Asian Pacific Society of Ophthalmic
    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (APSOPRS), Hong Kong Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive
    Surgery (HKSOPRS), International Society of Thyroid Eye Disease (ITED), 16 October 2021.
  • “Orbita decompression in the treatment of Graves’ orbitopathy” “The Lecture of Surgery 2020”, at the
    Annual Forum of The Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium, Brussels, 20 September 2020.
    Upcoming invited lectures and invited symposia:
  • Key note lecture: “Surgical rehabilitation in Graves Orbitopathy: Orbital decompressions” 58th Meeting of
    the Turkish Society of Ophthalmology, Antalya, 20-23 November 2024.
  • “Paediatric Orbital Oncology”: webinar of the European Association for Cranio – Maxillo – Facial Surgery,
    EACMFS Post Graduate Programme 2024 Head and Neck Surgery: Facial Plastic Surgery. 4 December 2024.
  • Organizer and Chairman of the invited symposia “Graves orbitopathy” and “Surgery of the lacrimal
    drainage system” second congress of the World Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic
    surgery (WSOPRAS) Istanbul, Turkey 10-12 April 2025
  • Organizer and Chairman of the invited symposium “Graves’ Orbitopathy new medical and surgical
    developments” at the Congress 2025 of the European Society of Ophthalmology, (SOE) Lisbon, Portugal 7-9
    June 2025.
  • “Paediatric Lacrimal surgery” Annual meeting of the Asian Pacific Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and
    Reconstructive Surgery (APSOPRS), New Delhi, India, April 2025. Invitation not accepted

Surgical experience
Thousands of operations performed as first operator (or tutor for resident in ophthalmology / fellows) in
every field of oculoplastic, lacrimal, skull base, orbital rehabilitative, reconstructive, decompression and
oncologic surgery; including laser surgery, endoscopic guided surgery, and surgery assisted by neuro
navigation for protection of visual function or life itself. Surgical correction of dysthyroid, post traumatic and
paralytic strabismus.