![]() US Navy Commander Kenneth Kubis and U.S. Air Force Captain Tighe Richardson use an operating microscope while performing cataract eye surgery | |
System | Eye and visual system |
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Significant diseases | Cataract, retinal disease (including diabetic retinopathy and other types of retinopathy), glaucoma, corneal disease, eyelid and orbital disorders, uveitis, strabismus and disorders of the ocular muscles, ocular neoplasms (malignancies, or cancers, and benign eye tumors), neuro-ophthalmologic disorders (including disorders of the optic nerve) |
Significant tests | Ophthalmoscopy, visual field test, optical coherence tomography |
Specialist | Ophthalmologist |
Glossary | Glossary of medicine |
Occupation | |
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Names | Physician Surgeon |
Occupation type | Specialty |
Activity sectors | Medicine, surgery |
Description | |
Education required | Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) |
Fields of employment | Hospitals, Clinics |
Ophthalmology (/ˌɒfθælˈmɒlədʒi/, OFF-thal-MOL-ə-jee)[1] is a clinical and surgical specialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.[2] A former term is oculism.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care.[3] Following a medical degree, a doctor specialising in ophthalmology must pursue additional postgraduate residency training specific to that field. This may include a one-year integrated internship that involves more general medical training in other fields such as internal medicine or general surgery. Following residency, additional specialty training (or fellowship) may be sought in a particular aspect of eye pathology.[4]
Ophthalmologists prescribe medications to treat ailments, such as eye diseases, implement laser therapy, and perform surgery when needed.[5] Ophthalmologists provide both primary and specialty eye care—medical and surgical.[5] Most ophthalmologists participate in academic research on eye diseases at some point in their training and many include research as part of their career.[6] Ophthalmology has always been at the forefront of medical research with a long history of advancement and innovation in eye care.[7]