Tradition & Excellence

Since 1933, Four Generations of University Professors

Ophthalmology care + Research + Teaching + Philanthropy

85 years of expertise

 

The “Clinica Belfort” is the oldest Ophthalmology practice in São Paulo, a four-generation eye clinic that since 1933 is run by University professors with intense academic and philanthropic activities. For the past 85 years the latest technology has always been incorporated, but the most important characteristic of our medical practice remains the very personalized humane service each patient receives.

Prof. Rubens Belfort Jr. is the head professor at Escola Paulista de Medicina, the leading ophthalmology department in Latin America. He has been recognized by numerous awards all around the world for his excellence, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Blindness prevention award and the “Conrado Wessel Award”, the Brazilian Nobel award for medicine.

Prof. Rubens Belfort Neto is the son of Prof. Belfort Jr. and the fourth generation of ophthalmologists. He is an MD PhD and also an affiliate professor of Ophthalmology at Federal University of São Paulo. His training included fellowships at McGill University in Canada and Cleveland Clinic in the USA. He was the president of the Pan-American Ocular Oncology Society until 2018.

Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Neto and Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Jr.

Belfort Clinic

Excellence in medicine

When you are sick you don’t want just a technician but a doctor that treats you with the attention and care you deserve. Despite the high academic and research activities, the most important characteristic of our medical practice remains the very personalized humane service each patient receives.

Our list of patients include a large expat community. All patients have direct access to both Prof. Rubens Belfort Jr. and Belfort Neto via mobile phone 24/7 in case of emergency.

We speak fluent Portuguese, English and Spanish and have knowledge of French, Hebrew and Hindi – interpreters for other languages can be arranged if necessary.

Belfort Clinic

Prof. Rubens Belfort Jr.

Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Jr.

Prof. Rubens Belfort Jr. has two PhDs – one in immunology and one in ophthalmology – and he is the chairman and head professor of Ophthalmology at the Federal University of São Paulo. He did part of his training at Proctor Foundation in San Francisco and a visiting scientist at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health.

He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Belfort is past president of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology, as well as past chair of the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation.

Main areas of research for Prof Belfort include cornea, uveitis, retina and cataract surgery. He has published more than 243 scientific papers, 150 review articles and book chapters. He is co-author of 15 ophthalmological books.

Highlights of his more than 82 awards include:

  • 2015 – Life Achievement Honor Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology;
  • 2015 – “Conrado Wessel Award” in Medicine, Conrado Wessel Foundation;
  • 2014 – International Award for the Prevention of Blindness, American Academy of Ophthalmology;
  • 2014 – Top 100 most influential in Brazil, Epoca Magazine;
  • 2013 – Società Oftalmologica Italiana Honorary Award;
  • 2011 – Global Advisors Commíttee – 2007 a 2011, American Academy of Ophthalmology;
  • 2011 – European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, (International Ocular Inflammation Society – IOIS;
  • 2010 – Member Global Scientific Program Committee, 5th International Conference on Ocular InfectionsAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology;
  • 2010 – Mourad Khalil Lecture, The Burnier International Ocular Pathology Society The Biopsy Meeting, Mcgill University, Canadá;
  • 2007 – Honorary Citizen of New Orleans, New Orleans City Council;
  • 2007 – Visiting Professor, University of Dubai College;
  • 2002 – Brazilian Medal of Scientific Merit.

Prof. Rubens Belfort Neto

Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Neto

Prof. Rubens Belfort Neto is the fourth generation of ophthalmologists at Clinica Belfort. After medical residence in Brazil he did his PhD at McGill University in Canada and trained in ocular oncology at Cleveland Clinic. Today he is the Director of the Ocular Oncology Center in São Paulo and an Affiliate professor of Ophthalmology at the Federal University of Ophthalmology.

Prof Belfort Neto has 21 scientific papers published in international journals and more than 10 ophthalmology chapters in medical books including ocular emergencies, ocular tumors, ocular changes in systemic diseases, retina diseases etc.

Prof Belfort Neto has intense academic and philanthropic activities in ocular oncology and was the President of the Pan-American Ocular Oncology Society.

Titles and awards:

  • Affiliate Professor of Ophthalmology – Federal University of São Paulo;
  • Post doctorate from the Federal University of São Paulo;
  • President – Pan-American Ocular Oncology Society 2016-2018;
  • PhD from the Federal University of São Paulo;
  • Member – American Academy of Ophthalmology;
  • Member – International Society of Ocular Oncology;
  • Member – Biopsy – Burnier Ocular Pathology Society;
  • Member – Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology;
  • Associate Secretary – Portuguese Language Region, Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (2015-2019);
  • Board certification in Ophthalmology – Brazilian Association of Medicine.

Academic and Volunteer work

Academic Works Team
Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Jr. doing volunteer work
We have frequent academic and personal contact with ophthalmologists from North America, Central America, Europe and Asia. Our research partnerships include McGill University in Canada, Johns Hopkins, Bascom Palmer and Cleveland Clinic in USA, Coimbra University and Champalimaud Foundation in Portugal, and LV Prasad Eye Center in India, among others.

Some of the international invitations as visiting professors:

  • 2007 University of Dubai College (Dubai)
  • 2010 Mourad Khalil Lecture (Canada)
  • 2011 Pan-American Congress (Argentina)
  • 2012 LV Prasad (India)
  • 2012 Biopsy meeting (Spain)
  • 2015 Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas (Peru)
  • 2016 Burnier Ocular Pathology Society (Canada)
  • 2017 International Society of Ocular Oncology (Australia)
  • 2017 Pan-American Ophthalmology meeting (Peru)
  • 2017 American Academy of Ophthalmology (USA)
  • 2017 Universidade Coimbra (Portugal)
  • 2017 National Ophthalmology Meeting (Uruguay)

Areas of expertise

We offer ophthalmology services ranging from common check-up and glasses prescription to complex treatments including retinal diseases and ocular cancer treatment.

In Brazil we don’t have optometry like in the United States and some European countries, so Brazilian ophthalmologists also provide the “refraction” exam, that is the prescription of glasses and contact lenses to correct myopia, hypermetropy and astigmatism.

A list of treatments we provide include:

  • General Ophthalmology and refraction (annual check-up and glasses prescription);
  • Geriatric Ophthalmology;
  • Cataract surgery;
  • Cornea diseases;
  • Uveitis (Intra-ocular inflammation – Autoimmune and infectious uveitis);
  • Retina diseases (Ocular diabetes, Macular Edema, Macular degeneration, Vascular abnormalities – vein and artery obstructions);
  • Ocular Oncology and ocular tumours;
  • Glaucoma (high intraocular pressure);
  • Refractive surgery (laser surgery to correct myopia and astigmatism – LASIK);
  • Ocular Allergies;
  • Dry eyes;
  • Ocular changes secondary to cancer treatment and bonne marrow transplant (GVHD – graft versus   host disease);
  • Strabismus (adults and children).

We are nationally and internationally recognized by our knowledge in Uveitis (ocular inflammation), ocular oncology, cataract surgery and retina and macular diseases.