Definition

1. Noun:
   • A surgical procedure for treating glaucoma: "cyclodestructive surgery" is a specific type of eye operation. Its primary purpose is to lower intraocular pressure in cases of glaucoma that are difficult to manage with other treatments.
   • Method of action: The procedure works by using a laser to selectively destroy part of the ciliary body, the eye structure responsible for producing aqueous humor (the fluid inside the eye). Reducing this fluid production helps to lower pressure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cyclodestructive surgery is often considered when other glaucoma treatments have failed.
  • The ophthalmologist recommended cyclodestructive surgery to control the patient's intraocular pressure.
  • This type of surgery carries specific risks, such as inflammation or hypotony (abnormally low eye pressure).

Advanced Usage

• "to undergo cyclodestructive surgery": to have this specific surgical procedure performed.
  • The patient had to undergo cyclodestructive surgery after medications and conventional laser therapy proved ineffective.

Variants and Related Words

• Cyclodestruction (n): The act or process of destroying the ciliary body. This is the general term for the therapeutic action.
  • Laser cyclodestruction is a last-resort treatment.
• Cyclophotocoagulation (n): A more precise technical term often used synonymously with laser cyclodestructive surgery. It specifically refers to using laser light (photo-) to coagulate (-coagulation) the tissue of the ciliary body (cyclo-).
  • Transscleral cyclophotocoagulation is a common technique.

Synonyms

• Cycloablation (n): A synonym emphasizing the ablation (removal or destruction) of ciliary body tissue.
• Ciliary body destruction (n phrase): A descriptive, non-technical term for the procedure's mechanism.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Glaucoma (n): The group of eye diseases characterized by optic nerve damage, often associated with elevated intraocular pressure, which this surgery aims to treat.
• Ciliary body (n phrase): The part of the eye targeted in this surgery.
• Aqueous humor (n phrase): The eye fluid whose production is reduced by this procedure.

Noun

1. an eye operation that treats glaucoma by destroying the ciliary body with a laser