An iridectomy, also known as a surgical iridectomy or corectomy, is the

surgical Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

removal of part of the

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

.Cline D; Hofstetter HW; Griffin JR. ''Dictionary of Visual Science''. 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston 1997. Surgery Encyclopedia - "Iridectomy."
Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers. Retrieved May 20, 2006. These procedures are most frequently performed in the treatment of

closed-angle glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for aqueous humor, fluid withi ...

and iris

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

Comparison with Nd:YAG laser iridotomy

acute angle-closure glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

cases, surgical iridectomy has been superseded by Nd:YAG laser iridotomy, because the laser procedure is much safer. Opening the globe for a surgical iridectomy in a patient with high

intraocular pressure Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the fluid pressure inside the eye. Tonometry is the method eye care professionals use to determine this. IOP is an important aspect in the evaluation of patients at risk of glaucoma. Most tonometers are calibrated to ...

greatly increases the risk of suprachoroidal hemorrhage, with potential for associated expulsive hemorrhage. Nd:YAG laser iridotomy avoids such a catastrophe by using a laser to create a hole in the iris, which facilitates flow of

aqueous humor The aqueous humour is a transparent water-like fluid similar to plasma, but containing low protein concentrations. It is secreted from the ciliary body, a structure supporting the lens of the eyeball. It fills both the anterior and the posterior ...

from the posterior to the

anterior chamber The anterior chamber ( AC) is the aqueous humor-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface, the endothelium. Hyphema, anterior uveitis and glaucoma are three main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, blood f ...

of the eye.

Current indications

Surgical iridectomy is commonly indicated and performed in the following cases: * Cataract surgery in a glaucoma patient * Combined procedure for cataract and glaucoma * Acute closed-angle glaucoma * Posterior capsular tears with vitreous loss * Implantation of anterior chamber

IOL Cherchell (Arabic: شرشال) is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the kin ...

. * Vitreoretinal procedure involving injection of

silicone oil A silicone oil is any liquid polymerized siloxane with organic side chains. The most important member is polydimethylsiloxane. These polymers are of commercial interest because of their relatively high thermal stability, lubricating, and Liquid di ...

. The location of the iridectomy in such cases is at 6 o'clock, as opposed to routine iridectomy done at 11 to 1 o'clock. This is because silicone oil is less dense than water. * Iris trauma

Types

* An antiphogistic iridectomy is the surgical removal of part of the iris to reduce intraocular pressure in inflammatory conditions of the eye. * A basal iridectomy is an iridectomy which includes the root of the iris. * An optical iridectomy is the surgical removal of part of the iris to enlarge the existing pupil, or to form an artificial pupil, when the natural pupil is ineffectual. * A peripheral iridectomy is the surgical removal of a portion of the iris in the region of its root, leaving the pupillary margin and sphincter pupillae muscle intact. It is used in the treatment of glaucoma. * A preliminary iridectomy, or preparatory iridectomy, is the surgical removal of part of the iris preceding

cataract extraction Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (also called "crystalline lens") that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intraocu ...

. It facilitates the removal of the

cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...

ous

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...

. * A sector iridectomy, also known as a complete iridectomy or total iridectomy, is the surgical removal of a complete radial section of the iris extending from the pupillary margin to the root of the iris. A ''key-hole pupil'' is left by the removal of a wedge-shaped section of iris.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company, 1990. * A stenopeic iridectomy is the surgical removal of a narrow slit or a minute portion of the iris, leaving the sphincter pupillae muscle intact. * A therapeutic iridectomy is the surgical removal of a portion of the iris for the cure or prevention of an ocular disease.

References

{{Eye surgery Eye surgery

Comparison with Nd:YAG laser iridotomy

Current indications

Types

See also

References