Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology is the branch of which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the and. By convention the term ophthalmologist is more restricted and implies a medically trained specialist. Since ophthalmologists perform operations on eyes, they are generally categorized as.

History of ophthalmology

The eye, including its structure and mechanism, has fascinated and the public in general since ancient times.

Sushruta

Wrote Sushruta Samhita in about 5th Century BC in India, describing about 72 diseases of the eye, description of fine ophthalmological surgical instruments & eye surgery and is described as the first ophthalmic surgeon for operating on cataract. Arab scientists are some of the earliest to have written about and drawn the anatomy of the eye—the earliest known diagram beingin's. Earlier manuscripts exist which refer to diagrams which are not known to have survived. Current knowledge of the Græco-Roman understanding of the eye is limited, as many manuscripts lacked diagrams. In fact, there are very few Græco-Roman diagrams of the eye still in existence. Thus, it is not clear to which structures the texts refer, and what purpose they were thought to have.

Seventeenth and eighteenth century

The seventeenth and eighteenth century saw the use of hand-lenses (by Malpighi), (van Leeuwenhoek), preparations for fixing the eye for study (Ruysch) and later the freezing of the eye (Petit). This allowed for detailed study of the eye and an advanced model. Some mistakes persisted such as: why the pupil changed size (seen to be vessels of the iris filling with blood), the existence of the posterior chamber, and of course the nature of the retina. In noted the existence of rods and cones though they were not properly discovered until in by use of a microscope.

First ophthalmic surgeon

The first ophthalmic surgeon was, appointed to the position by the Governors of in 1727, but the establishment of the first dedicated ophthalmic hospital in 1805 - now called in London, England was a transforming event in modern ophthalmology. Clinical developments at Moorfields and the founding of the Institute of Ophthalmology by Sir Stewart Duke-Elder established the site as the largest eye hospital in the world and a nexus for ophthalmic research.

Introduction:

A cataract is a clouding of the eye is nature lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil.

Types of cataract

i) A nuclear cataract is most commonly such as it forms.

ii) Cortical cataract:  which forms in the lens cortex, gradually extend its spokes from the out side.

iii) Sub capsular Cataract: begins at the hack of lens.

Sign and symptoms

A cataract starts out small, and at first has little effect on your vision, you may notice that your vision is blurred a little. I like looking trough a cloudy piece of glass or viewing an impression is painting.

Causes a cataract

No one knows for sure why the eye’s lens changes as we age, forming cataracts.

* Many studies suggest that exposure to ultraviolet light is associated with cataract development, so eye care practitioners recommend wearing sunglasses and a wide- brim med that to lessen your exposure.

* Other studies suggest people with diabetes are at risk for devoting a cataract.

Treatment

When symptoms begin to appear, you may he able to improve your vision for a white using new glasses, sprang bifocals, magnification, appropriate lighting.

Surgery

In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. Once you and your eye doctor have decided that you will have your cataract removed, the eye surgery will examine you.

Cataract surgery is usually done on an out patient basis, A plastic 10L will he placed inside the eye to replace the natural lance that was removed. The incision then closed, when stitches are used, tiey rarely used to be removed.

When the operation is over, the surgery will usually place a shield over your eye. After a short stay in the out patient recovery area, you will be ready to go home.