ophthalmectomy
Definition
Noun: - Surgical removal of an eye: A medical procedure involving the complete surgical excision of an eyeball.
Usage Notes
"Ophthalmectomy" is a highly specialized medical term. It is not used in everyday conversation. It refers specifically to the surgical operation itself, not the condition requiring it or the state of having lost an eye. The term is typically used in clinical, surgical, and academic contexts.
Examples
- Noun:
- The patient underwent an ophthalmectomy following severe trauma to the orbit.
- Ophthalmectomy is a rare but necessary procedure for certain advanced intraocular tumors.
Advanced Usage
- The procedure is often discussed in the context of enucleation (removal of the eyeball, leaving eye muscles and other orbital contents intact) and evisceration (removal of the eye's contents, leaving the scleral shell). An "ophthalmectomy" is a broader term that can encompass these specific techniques.
Variants and Related Words
- Ophthalmic (adj): Pertaining to the eye.
- Ophthalmic surgery requires great precision.
- -ectomy (suffix): A suffix meaning "surgical removal of," as in (removal of the appendix) or (removal of the tonsils).
Synonyms
- Enucleation (n): Surgical removal of an eyeball.
- Eye removal: A plain English description of the procedure.
Antonyms
- Ophthalmoplasty (n): Surgical repair or reconstruction of the eye.
- Eye preservation: The act or goal of saving the eye from removal.
Related Phrases
- Post-ophthalmectomy care: The medical care and rehabilitation required after the surgical removal of an eye.
- Indications for ophthalmectomy: The specific medical reasons (e.g., malignancy, uncontrollable pain, severe injury) that necessitate the removal of an eye.
Noun
-
surgical removal of an eye
