What is Ophthalmology?
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Alison James |
| Director, PR and Marketing | |
| +44 (0) 203 167 0000 | |
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Eyes are the second most complex organ, after the brain.
The iris contains 256 unique characteristics.
The human eye starts to develop as early as the 2nd week of gestation.
The average blink lasts for about 1/10th of a second.
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the eye and visual system, along with microsurgery. The eye, its surrounding structures and the visual system can be affected by a number of clinical conditions. And wherever there are ageing populations, there are more and more incidences of age-related diseases of the eye, such as macular degeneration. These eye diseases can be successfully treated if caught early, and can be managed effectively with existing treatments and medicines. Cataracts are the main cause of impaired vision worldwide and cataract surgery is the second most common operation performed in the NHS in England. Over 300,000 procedures are performed each year.