Professor Michael C. Knorz, MD

Internationally Renowned Ophthalmic Surgeon

Professional experience

Prof. Dr. Michael Knorz

Professor Michael Knorz began his clinical career as Senior Physician at the University Eye Clinic Mannheim (1988 to 1998). In 1993, Professor Michael Knorz introduced the LASIK procedure in Germany. He also introduced LASIK to India and performed the first LASIK there in Mumbai in 1994.
At the same time, he established the first German LASIK center at the University Eye Clinic Mannheim which in 1999 was converted into the FreeVis LASIK Center Mannheim.
As of today, Michael Knorz is the medical director of this FreeVis LASIK Center as well as the founder and CEO of the FreeVis LASIK Group.

Research interests
Professor Knorz' main research areas are in cataract and refractive surgery, intraocular lenses and femtosecond laser technology. He has published over 50 original articles in peer reviewed journals, 50 book chapters, and a comprehensive textbook on phacoemulsification, recently printed in its second edition. He has presented more than 400 papers and participated in over 200 courses on phacoemulsification and refractive surgery all over the world.

» Publications

Appointments in societies and review boards
Professor Michael Knorz is senior associate editor of the Journal of Refractive Surgery (JRS) and Past Chairman of the editorial board, Ocular Surgery News, Europe Edition. In 2011, the AAO appointed him as member of the ISRS' Program Committee and Multimedia Library Editorial Board.
He is board member, 2010/2011 president and now the Executive Director of the International Intraocular Implant Club (IIIC) as well as honorary member of the South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS). He currently serves as IIIC's Executive Director.

Professor Michael Knorz is actively involved in the creation of standards of care in the field of refractive surgery. He was the chairman of the "Kommission Refraktive Chirurgie (KRC)"(committee on refractive surgery), a joint committee of the German Ophthalmological Association (Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft, DOG) and the Professional Association of German Ophthalmologists (Berufsverband der Augenärzte Deutschlands, BVA), which is responsible for standards of care in refractive surgery and certification of refractive surgeons. He currently serves as the secretary of the KRC.

Affiliations
Michael Knorz is member of the following professional organizations:

- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
- American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
- European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS)
- Berufsverband der Augenärzte Deutschlands e.V. (BVA)
- Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (DOG)
- South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS)
- Asia-Pacific Intraocular Implant Association (APIIA)
- International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC)
- International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS)

Awards and honors

Professor Michael Knorz is the receipient of numerous international awards and honors, among them:

2010-2024: The German news magazines STERN list Professor Knorz as one of the TOP Doctors and Experts for cataract and refractive surgery.
2023: Fellow des World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences
2021: Science Price of DGII
2019: DOC Platin Medal
2016: IIIC Medal and Lectureship of the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC)
2014: First President of the European Executive Committee of the American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS)
2010-2012: President of the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC)
2011: Best Poster Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
for the presentation of "Reduction in Mean Cumulative Dissipated Energy Following Lens Liquefaction With an Intraocular Femtosecond Laser"
2011: DOC Gold Medal
for outstanding contributions for the International Congress of German Ophthalmosurgeons (DOC)
2010: ESCRS celebrats the "Year of LASIK"
and recognizes Professor Michael Knorz as one of the influentail ophthalmic surgeons for the development and introduction of LASIK (EUROTIMES, June 2010)
2009: Secretariat Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
Recognizes ophthalmologists for their special service or contribution through outstanding organizational, management and/or administrative activities in support of the AAO and ophthalmology.
2008: "Arthur Lim Lecture"
Highest honor of the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS).
Lecture topic: Femtosecond Laser Surgery
2008: "Senior Achievement Award"
Of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO))
2008: Best Poster Award der American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
2006: "Casebeer Lecture Award"
Of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (ISRS/AAO)
"TOP 50 Opinion Leader"
Voted by colleagues and readers of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today, for outstanding contribution and leadership in the fields of cataract and refractive surgery.
2005: Honorary Member of the South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS)
2003: Epstein Lecture of the South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS)
2001: Kritzinger Memorial Lecture of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS)
2001: Kritzinger Safari Lecture der South African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS)
2000: Honor Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

Why FreeVis?

Professor Michael C. Knorz, MD

Internationally Renowned Ophthalmic Surgeon

Professional experience

Awards and honors