Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eye, brain, and areas surrounding the eye, such as the lacrimal system and eyelids. By convention the term ophthalmologist is more restricted and implies a medically trained surgical specialist. Since ophthalmologists perform operations on eyes, they are generally categorized as surgeons.
The
following are books published by Gryphon Editions in the Classics of
Ophthalmology Library. Included in the Classics of Ophthalmology are
important books about eye medicine and eye surgery. Each book in this
series is bound in full genuine leather.
The Collected Papers of Sir W. Bowman, Bart., F.R.S Vol II - 1984
A Treatise on the Cataract by Jacob De Wenzel - 1984
On the Anomalies of Accommodation and Refraction of the Eye with a Preliminary Essay on Physiological Dioptrics by F. C. Donders - 1984
Three Memoirs on Iridectomy in Certain Forms if Iritis, Choroiditis and Glaucoma by A. Von Graefe - 1984
A Clinical Memoir on Certain Diseases of the Eye and Ear Consequent on Inherited Syphilis by Jonathan Hutchinson - 1984
A Practical Treatise on The Diseases of the Eye by William MacKenzie - 1984
Practical Observations on the Principal Diseases of the Eyes: Illustrated with Cases by Antonio Scarpa - 1984
A Synopsis of the Diseases of the Eye: and their Treatment by Benjamin Travers - 1984
Essays on the Morbid Anatomy of the Human Eye by James Wardrop - 1984
On the use of the Ophthalmoscope in Diseases of the Nervous System and of the Kidneys: Also in Certain other General Disorders by T Clifford
Allbutt - 1985
A Treatise on the Disease of the Eye by George Frick - 1985
Memorandum Book of a Tenth-Century Oculist by Ali Ibn Isa - 1985
De Oculis: Eorumque Egitudinibus et Curis by Benevenutus Grassus of Jerusalem - 1985
Helmholtz's Treatise on Physiological Optics by Hermann von Helmholtz - 1985
A Treatise on Intraocular Tumors from Original Clinical Observations and Anatomical Investigations by Hermann Jakob Knapp - 1986
Treatise on Some Practical Points Relating to the Diseases of the Eye by John Cunningham Saunders - 1986
A Practical Treatise on The Diseases of the Eye by John Vetch - 1986
Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Eye by Henry Willard Williams - 1986
Three Treatise on Strabismus - Observations on the Cure of Strabismus - Monograph on Strabismus by John Homer Dix, Alfred Charles Post and Frank Hamilton - 1987
A Manual and Atlas of Medical Ophthalmoscopy by William R. Gowers - 1987
Essay on the Instruction and Amusement of the Blind / Light for the Blind by Sebastien Guillie and William Moon - 1987
A Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye by William Lawrence - 1987
Three Treatises: On the Brain, On the Eye, and On the Ear by Alexander Monro - 1987
Treatise on the Eye, The Manner and Phaenomena of Vision by William Porterfield - 2 volumes - 1987
Clinical Studies on Diseases of the Eye including those of the Conjunctiva, Cornea, Sclerotic, Iris, and Ciliary Body by Ferdinand von Arlt - 1987
An Essay on Vision Briefly explaining the Fabric of the Eye, and the Nature of Vision by George Adams - 1988
Practical Observations on Ectropium, or Eversion of the Eye-lids on Ectopium by William Adams - 1988
Text Book of Ophthalmology by Ernst Fuchs - 1988
Ophthalmographia, or a Treatise of the Eye by Peter Kennedy - 1988
Treatise on One-Hundred and Eighteen Principal Diseases of the Eyes and Eyelids, Etc. by William Rowley - 1988
Extracting the Cataract / An Essay Upon Single Vision by James Ware and William Charles Wells - 1988
A Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye and Their Remedies by George Chandler - 1989
The Anatomy of the Human Eye by John Dalrymple - 1989
The Principles and Practices of Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery by Thomas Wharton Jones - 1989
A Manual of the Diseases of the Eye by Squier Littell Jr. - 1989
A Treatise on the Extraction of the Cataract by August Gottlieb Richter - 1989
Ophthalmo-Graphia: or an Anatomical Description of the Eye and its Parts / A New Theory of Vision by William Briggs - 1990
The Pathology of the Eye by Jonas S. Friedenwald - 1990
Lectures on Operative Surgery of the Eye by George James Gutherie - 1990
Injuries of the Eye, Orbit, and Eyelids by George Lawson - 1990
A New Treatise on the Glaucoma or Cataract by Sylvester O'Halloran - 1990
A Short but Exact Account of all The Diseases Incident to the Eyes, with the Causes, Symptoms and Cures by Sir William Read - 1990
The History of the Travels and Adventures of the Chevalier John Taylor, Ophthalmiater by John Taylor - 1990
Lectures on the Human Eye in its Normal and Pathological Conditions by Adolf Alt - 1991
Trachoma by Julius Boldt - 1991
Ophthalmic Surgery by Robert Brudenell Carter and William Adams Frost - 1991
On the Cure of Cataract with a Practical Summary of the Best Modes of Operating, Continental and British by Hugh Neill - 1991
Treatise on Ophthalmology and Those Diseases Which are Induced by Inflammations of the Eyes with New Methods of Cure by Edward Moore Noble -1991
The Elements of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy by Voltaire - 1991
A Complete Physico-Medical and Chirurgical Treatise on the Human Eye by Peter Degravers - 1992
A Treatise of the Varieties and Consequences of Ophthalmia by Arthur Edmonston - 1992
The Muscles of the Eye by Lucien Howe - 2 volumes - 1992
Atlas of the pathological anatomy of the eyeball by Hermann Pagenstecher and Carl Genth - 1992
Discoveries on Ligth and Vision: Wth a Short Memoir Containing Discoveries in the Mental Faculties by Mary Griffith - 1993
Men of Vision: Lives of Notable Figures in Ophthalmology by Daniel M Albert; Paul Henkind - 1993
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The word ophthalmology comes from the Greek roots ophthalmos meaning eye and logos meaning word, thought or discourse; ophthalmology literally means "The science of eyes." As a discipline it applies to animal eyes also, since the differences from human practice are surprisingly minor and are related mainly to differences in anatomy or prevalence, not differences in disease processes. However, veterinary medicine is regulated separately in many countries and states/provinces resulting in few ophthalmologists treating both humans and animals.
History
The eye, including its structure and mechanism, has fascinated scientists and the public in general since ancient times. The majority of all input to the brain comes from vision. Many of the expressions in the English language that mean to understand are equivalent vision terms. "I see", to mean I understand.
Many patients when told that they may have an eye problem will be more concerned about diseases that affect vision than other, more lethal diseases. Being deprived of sight can have a devastating effect on the psyche, as well as economic and social effects, as many blind individuals require significant assistance with activities of daily living and are often unable to continue gainful employment previously held while seeing.
The maintenance of ocular health and correction of eye problems that decrease vision contribute greatly to the ability to appreciate the longer lifespan that all of medicine continues to allow. Given the importance of vision to quality of life, many ophthalmologists consider their job to be rewarding, as they are often able to restore or improve a patient's sight. As detailed below, advances in diagnosis and treatment of disease, and improved surgical techniques have extended our abilities to restore vision like never before.
Distinction from Optometry
Optometrists in the US can earn a Doctor of Optometry degree (OD). As primary eye care providers, doctors of optometry are an integral part of the health care team, earning their Doctoral degree just as Dentistry and Podiatry. Optometrists are enabled to treat patients with medications and optical aids, including ordering and interpreting examinations, prescribing optical aids such as eyeglasses, treatment of infectious and inflammatory conditions, and treatment of allergies.
Ophthalmologists are surgical specialists who treat diseases affecting the eye, orbit, and visual system of the brain. Ophthalmologists may also assist other specialists in treating other ocular disorders. Ophthalmologists may treat patients with surgery or medication. Many ophthalmologists receive further training in one or several of the following sub-specialties: Vitreoretinal disease, Pediatric ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus, Cornea and External disease, Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Uveitis, Ocular Pathology and Oculoplastics.
Overlap areas between Ophthalmology and Optometry include:
Both professions treat patients with medications and optical aids
Both professions perform testing for common ocular problems affecting children (i.e., amblyopia and strabismus) and the adult population (cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy). Optometrists usually refer to ophthalmologists for surgical assessment and treatment of ocular diseases if required.
Ophthalmologists may refer patients with poor vision to optometrists specializing in low vision for optical aids or low vision rehabilitation. Both ophthalmologists and optometrists are trained in refraction for glasses and contact lenses.
Ophthalmology sub-specialities
Ophthalmology includes sub-specialities which deal either with certain diseases or diseases of certain parts of the eye. Some of them are:
Anterior segment surgery
Cataract - not considered a subspecialty per se, since most general ophthalmologists do surgery for this.
Cornea, ocular surface, and external disease
Glaucoma
Neuro-ophthalmology
Ocular oncology
Oculoplastics & Orbit surgery
Ophthalmic pathology
Pediatric ophthalmology/Strabismus (squint)
Refractive surgery
Medical retina, deals with treatment of retinal problems conservatively.
Vitreoretinal Surgery, deals with surgical management of retinal and posterio segment diseases and disorders. Medical retina and vitreoretinal surgery sometimes together called posterior segment subspecialisation.
Uveitis/Immunology
Veterinary" Formal specialty training programs in veterinary ophthalmology now exist in some countries
Notable ophthalmologists
Pre-18th century:
Marie Colinet, wife of Wilhelm Fabry, employs a magnet for removing a foreign body from the eye, 1627.
18th-19th century:
Sir William Adams (UK) Founder of Exeter's West of England Eye Infirmary.
Carl Ferdinand von Arlt (1812-1887), the elder (Austrian) proved that myopia is largely due to an excessive axial length, published influential textbooks on eye disease, and ran annual eye clinics in needy areas long before the concept of volunteer eye camps became popular. His name is still attached to some disease signs, eg, von Arlt's line in trachoma. His son Ferdinand Ritter von Arlt, the younger, was also an ophthalmologist.
Jacques Daviel (France) claimed to be the 'father' of modern cataract surgery in that he performed extracapsular extraction instead of needling the cataract or pushing it back into the vitreous. It is said that he carried out the technique on 206 patients in 1752-3, out of which 182 were reported to be successful. These figures are not very credible, given the total lack of both anaesthesia and aseptic technique at that time.
Frans Cornelis Donders (1818-1889) (Dutch) published pioneering analyses of ocular biomechanics, intraocular pressure, glaucoma, and physiological optics. Made possible the prescribing of combinations of spherical and cylindrical lenses to treat astigmatism.
Albrecht von Graefe (1828-1870) (Germany) Along with Helmholtz and Donders, one of the 'founding fathers' of ophthalmology as a specialty. A brilliant clinician and charismatic teacher who had an international influence on the development of ophthalmology. A pioneer in mapping visual field defects and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Introduced a cataract extraction technique that remained the standard for over 100 years, and many other important surgical techniques such as iridectomy. Rationalised the use of many ophthalmically important drugs, including mydriatics & miotics. The founder of the one of the earliest ophthalmic societies (German Ophthalmological Society, 1857) and one of the earliest ophthalmic journals (Graefe's Archives of Ophthalmology). The most important ophthalmologist of the nineteenth century.
Allvar Gullstrand (Sweden), Nobel Prize winner in 1911 for his research on the eye as a light-refracting apparatus. Described the schematic eye a mathematical model of the human eye based on his measurements known as the optical constants of the eye. His measurements are still used today.
Hermann von Helmholtz, great German polymath, invented the ophthalmoscope (1851) and published important work on physiological optics, including colour vision (1850s).
Hermann Snellen (Netherlands) introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity.
20th-21st century:
William Horatio Bates (1860-1931) (USA) Creator of the unorthodox Bates Method, credited for being the founder of the Natural Vision Improvement movement.
Vladimir Petrovich Filatov (Ukraine) (1875-1956) His contributions to the medical world include the tube flap grafting method, corneal transplantation and preservation of grafts from cadaver eyes and tissue therapy. He founded The Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases & Tissue Therapy, Odessa, one of the leading eye care institutes in the world.
Ignacio Barraquer (Spain, 1884-1965),invented in 1917 the first motorized vacuum instrument (erisophake) for intracapsular cataract extraction. Founder of the Barraquer Clinic (1941) and the Barraquer Institute (1947) in Barcelona, Spain.
Tsutomu Sato (Japan), pioneer in incisional refractive surgery, including techniques for astigmatism and the invention of radial keratotomyfor myopia.
Jules Gonin (Switzerland)"father of retinal detachment surgery"
Sir Harold Ridley (UK) may have been the first to successfully implant an artificial intraocular lens 1949, after observing that plastic fragments in the eyes of wartime pilots were well tolerated. He fought for decades against strong reactionary opinions to have the concept accepted as feasible and useful.
Charles Schepens (Belgium), "father of modern retinal surgery", developer of the Schepens indirect binocular ophthalmoscope whilst at Moorfields Eye Hospital, founder of the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, USA. This premier research institute is associated with Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary.
Marshall M. Parks, "father of pediatric ophthalmology".
José Ignacio Barraquer (Spain, 1916-1998), "father of modern refractive surgery", developed in the 1960s lamellar techniques including keratomileusis and keratophakia, as well as the first microkeratome and corneal microlathe.
Tadeusz Krwawicz (Poland), developed in 1961 the first cryoprobe for intracapsular cataract extraction.
Svyatoslav Fyodorov (Russia) popularizer of radial keratotomy
Charles Kelman (United States) developed the ultrasound and mechanized irrigation/aspiration system for phacoemulsification, first allowing cataract extraction through a small incision.
Ioannis Pallikaris (Greece), performed the first laser assisted intrastromal keratomileusis or LASIK surgery.
Fred Hollows (New Zealand/Australia) pioneered programs in Nepal, Eritrea, and Vietnam, and among Australian aborigines, including the establishment of cheap laboratory production of intraocular lenses in Nepal and Eritrea.
Ian Constable (Australia) founded the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, Western Australia, the largest eye research institute in the southern hemisphere and home to 10 ophthalmologists.
L. L. Zamenhof, Poland - Creator of the language Esperanto.
Bashar al-Assad is the Syrian President. He did his ophthalmology residency in a London hospital.
Syed Modasser Ali is an ophthalmic surgeon from Bangladesh who used to be the Director-General of Health Services for the Bangladesh government. He is the authour of the first book on Community Ophthalmology (public eye health).
Source and additional information: Ophthalmology