Contact lens practice courses

Since its inception, the discipline of Contact Lens Practice - i.e. the correction and compensation of vision defects with lenses applied to the surface of the eye: on the cornea (corneal lenses) and on the sclera (scleral lenses) - has been studied and developed mainly by Opticians and Optometrists.

Contact Lens Practice is one of the most vibrant and challenging areas of ophthalmic correction and requires continuous update to keep abreast of the latest developments:
•             new scientific-clinical discoveries;
•             use of the latest ophthalmic-diagnostic equipment;
•             application of new products;

The Course in Clinical Contact Lens Practice at the Zaccagnini Institute is aimed at Opticians, Optometrists and Eye Care professionals who wish to keep up-to-date and to learn notions and procedures in line with the latest developments in contact lens fitting for their professional practice.

To acquire the knowledge, skills and competences needed to manage contact lens fitting with a focus on new market segments and the solution of the main reasons for discomfort leading to discontinuation of use (drop out).

The course is available in both intensive and periodic attendance versions for student-workers.

• Intensive: structured in 6 consecutive days, from Sunday to Friday, for a total of 48 hours, 24 hours of which are dedicated to practical and clinical exercises.
• Student-worker attendance:  divided into 6 days spread across 3 months, with a consecutive Sunday and Monday every month,  for a total of 48 hours, 24 hours of which are dedicated to practical and clinical exercises.

Class Schedule
From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The course will take place in:
Bologna –  Via Gherardo Ghirardini, 17 - 40141 Bologna, Italy - segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
Milan – Via Daniele Crespi, 9 - 20123 Milan, Italy - segreteria.mi@istitutozaccagnini.it

Both locations are easy to reach, served by urban transport and local and national railway lines and are connected to the main airports.

At the end of the course, every participant will receive a Certificate of Attendance, with the hours and the content of the program.

The course is held by well-established and experienced teachers and trainers, active in the field of clinical contact lens practice:

• Prof. Davide Brambilla, Certified Optician and Optometrist.

Professor of Higher Education and Masters programs at the Zaccagnini Institute. Davide is an expert in the design of personalised contact lenses and collaborates with specialized facilities for the optical management of irregular corneas.

• Prof. Mauro Frisani, MD in Optics and Optometry, Certified Optician and Optometrist.

Professor of Optometry and Contact Lens Practice at the Zaccagnini Institute and Adjunct Professor at the University of Turin. Mauro holds a Master’s Degree in in Biostatistics for Clinical Research and Scientific Publication from the University of Padua.

• Prof. Pietro Gheller, Optician, Optometrist and MD in Psychological Techniques.

Professor of Optometry and Contact Lens practice at the Zaccagnini Institute and Adjunct Professor at the University of Padua. Pietro is also a scientific advisor to various optical firms in the contact lens industry.

• Prof. Ivan Piacentini, MD in Optics and Optometry, Certified Optician and Optometrist.

Professor of Optometry and Contact Lens Practice at the Zaccagnini Institute. Ivan is also a scientific consultant for various optical practices and for the retail industry.

• Prof. Francesco Sala, Certified Optician and Optometrist.

Professor of Optometry and Contact Lens Practice at the Zaccagnini Institute. Francesco is a scientific consultant for many optical practices, for optical retail and for the contact lenses industry.

• Prof. Francesco Vargellini, Qualified Optician and Optometrist.

Francesco is a Professor of Optometry and Contact Lens Practice at the Zaccagnini Institute and a scientific consultant for several optical practices and for the retail industry.

The Course of Clinical Contact Lens Practice, with a limited number of 25 participants, will offer students the opportunity of practical mentoring by teachers and assistants.

Teaching is Customised and Integrated. Lectures will be delivered in the classroom, but will also be available online so that anyone in any location and in any condition can attend and follow the teaching activities.
Handouts, courseware materials and documentation will be available 24/7 on the IBZ platform to ensure easy round-the-clock access and immediate sharing.

All topics will be presented on a theoretical level and then developed and complemented with simulations, training sessions and practical clinical exercises.

The participants will learn the clinical use of basic and advanced instrumental technologies, with a focus on optical imaging.
Ample space will be given to learning the techniques of contact lens fitting and follow-up and the resulting fitting assessment skills.

Attendance training course in Bologna	TEACHING MODULES	Attendance training course in Milano
September 2024 Sunday 15th and Monday 16th Prof. Francesco Vargellini, Optometrist Prof. Francesco Sala, Optometrist	SOFT CONTACT LENSES: HOW TO FIT AND MANAGE THEM SUCCESSFULLY Contact lens fitting instruments and equipment Identifying the wearer’s needs Lens selection Toric contact lenses for astigmatism Update on technical trends   Compliance and follow-up	February 2025 Sunday 16th and Monday 17th Prof. Ivan Piacentini, Optometrista
September 2024 Tuesday, 17th Prof. Davide Brambilla, Optometrist	HOW TO CHOOSE AND FIT CONTACT LENSES FOR PRESBYOPIA Prevalence and factors causing the onset of presbyopia Presbyopia correction procedures and options The role of aberrations and of depth of field in vision Multifocal contact lenses.  How to achieve bifocal and multifocal vision with contact lenses Multifocal contact lenses. What is available today Multifocal contact lens fitting procedures Future outlook in the correction of presbyopia	March 2025 Sunday 16th and Monday 17th Prof. Davide Brambilla, Optometrist
September 2024 Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th Prof. Pietro Gheller, Optometrist, Posturologist and Psychologist	HOW TO COPE WITH AND CHOOSE SOLUTIONS FOR CONTACT LENS INTOLERANCE, DISCOMFORT AND DRY EYE Tear tests and their interpretation Study with the aid of innovative instruments and technologies (interferometry and meibomiography) Which tear substitutes are most useful in various situations and with various contact lens materials What treatments are possible to improve and address drop out Study of the most common complications and how to deal with them: Lens delivery and wearing and care protocols to avoid ‘drop out’ and complications.	April 2025 Sunday 13th  Prof. Pietro Gheller, Optometrist, Posturologist and Psychologist
September 2024 Friday 20th Prof. Mauro Frisani, Optometrist	MANAGEMENT AND NEW FITTING POSSIBILITIES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH SOFT CONTACT LENSES Contact lens wear in young subjects Slowing myopic progression in young subjects and children Soft contact lens wear on young subjects and children New contact lenses for slowing myopic progression Current availability of products to control myopic progression Professional Promotion and Relational Management	April 2025 Monday 14th  Prof. Mauro Frisani, Optometrist

Enrollment is open for both individual modules and for the full program. The enrolment fee includes course attendance, all teaching materials and the Certificate of Attendance with an indication of the hours and content of the course.

Full Program

• € 790,00 + VAT (€ 963,80) € 250,00  of which  to be paid as a deposit upon enrolment

and the remaining € 713,80 before the start of the course.

• Fee reserved for former students of the Zaccagnini Institute: 550,00 + VAT (€ 671,00) € 250,00  of which to be paid as a deposit upon enrolment and the remaining € 421,00 before the start of the course.
• Fee reserved for ADOO, AILAC, ALOeO, Federottica, SOptI members: 700,00 + VAT (€ 854,00)            € 250,00 of which to be paid as a deposit upon enrolment and the remaining € 604,00 before the start of the course.

Single Modules

• € 300,00 + VAT (366,00): enrolment fee in either the first or the second module.  
• € 150,00 + VAT (183,00) enrolment fee in either the third or the forth module