Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine that deals with the disorders, diseases, and the corrective measures involving the eyes and parts related to the process of seeing, including the optic nerves, the brain, the eyelids, and the lacrimal system. Ophthalmology is a different practice from optometry, though there are several areas where both branches overlap. While practitioners from both fields can perform and interpret visual examinations and prescribe medications and optical aids such as eyeglasses, the ophthalmologist is the only person allowed by law to perform surgical procedures on a patient’s eye/s if such necessity is required. On the other hand, an optometrist can only refer a patient to an ophthalmologist if a surgery involving the eyes is needed.

The practice of ophthalmology dates back to the age of the Babylonian Empire, as evidenced by the Code of Hammurabi, in which texts related to ophthalmology are found detailing the procedures, the rates, and the penalties for medical malpractice. However, given the fact the eye disorders were already present during periods stated in the Holy Bible, it is assumed that the art of ophthalmology has been observed much earlier than the time of the Babylonians, despite the lack of evidences to prove such assumption.