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Glite Dictionary
iridectomy

iridectomy

9.9
An operation that removes part of the colored area of the eye to lower eye pressure
  • noun
  • /ˌɪrɪˈdɛktəmi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : iridectomía
  • The doctor performed an iridectomy to help relieve the patient's glaucoma symptoms.

Examples

  • In addition, laser treatment for lowering intraocular pressure or peripheral iridectomy was suggested for 3 residents, low vision aids were recommended for 1 resident, and new eye medications were prescribed or changed for 9 residents.

    Academic text (1997)

  • She underwent an iridectomy to address her chronic eye condition.

  • After the iridectomy, the patient noticed an improvement in their vision.

Surface Forms

iridectomy singular
iridectomies plural

Morphology

iridectomy = iris (opaque) = irid + ectomy

The term is a specialized medical formation based on 'iris', but the combining form 'irid-' and the suffix '-ectomy' are not transparently recoverable for an average learner.

Etymology

Iridectomy comes from iris, a word meaning 'rainbow' and the name of the colored part of the eye, plus -ectomy, which means 'cutting out' and appears in words like appendectomy. So an iridectomy is an operation that 'cuts out' part of the iris to relieve pressure in the eye or treat glaucoma.