Ophthalmology

Ophthalmologist (MD and DO): Total Eye Care

Ophthalmologists are physicians and surgeons - physicians of medicine (MDs) or physicians of osteopathy (DOs). MDs and DOs complete four or more years of college premedical education, four years of medical school and one year of internship to get their doctorate degrees and become licensed physicians.

After they become licensed physicians, they continue on with an Ophthalmology residency which consists of three or more additional years of education and training.

The Ophthalmologist may then choose to specialize in a particular field of ophthalmology of which there are nine fields: Corneal and external disease, Cataract and refractive surgery, Glaucoma, Uveitis and ocular immunology, Vitreo-retinal diseases, Ophthalmic plastic surgery, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Neuro-ophthalmology and Ophthalmic pathology. This sub specialization requires further education and training, generally another one to three years.

Ophthalmologists provide complete medical and surgical eye care. These include:

• Vision services, including eye exams
• Medical eye care - for lacrimal duct obstruction glaucoma, iritis, chemical burns, orbital cellulitis, etc.
• Surgical eye care - for trauma, crossed eyes, double vision, cataracts, glaucoma, tumors, etc..
• Diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions related to other diseases like diabetes ( Diabetic Retinopathy), JRI/JRA (iritis/uveitis), brain conditions, prematurity (retinopathy of prematurity) and syndromes such as congenital, metabolic, etc.
• Eye disease and injury preventive services
• Plastic surgery - some ophthalmologists offer this service for drooping eyelids or skin tumors, or for smoothing wrinkles and improving skin tone around the eyes

definitions taken from www.webMD.com