Iridectomy

An iridectomy, also known as a surgical

iridectomy or corectomy, is the surgical removal of part of the iris. These procedures are most frequently performed in the treatment of closed-angle glaucoma and iris melanoma (tumor of skin: a malignant tumor, most often on the skin, that contains dark pigment and develops from a melanin-producing cell melanocyte).

 Melanoma of the iris is usually treated by surgical

iridectomy to prevent the tumor from causing secondary closed-angle glaucoma and from spreading to other parts of the body. A surgical iridectomy is a more invasive procedure that requires an operating room. The patient lies on an operating table with a piece of sterile cloth placed around the eye. The procedure is usually done under general anesthesia. The surgeon uses a microscope and special miniature instruments to make an incision in the cornea and remove a section of the iris, usually at the 12 o'clock position. The incision in the cornea is self-sealing.

preparation
Patients scheduled for a laser iridotomy or iridectomy are not required to fast or make other special preparations before the

procedure. They may, however, be given a sedative to help them relax. Patients scheduled for a conventional iridectomy are asked to avoid eating or drinking for about eight hours before the procedure.

Stapedectomy

 A stapedectomy is a surgical procedure of the middle

ear performed to improve hearing.

A stapedectomy is a surgical procedure of the middle

ear performed to improve hearing due to a problem with the stapes bone. A person who might need a stapedectomy usually has a hearing loss that does not change, is not associated with any ear infections or pain, but has slowly lost the ability to hear clearly from one or both ears. Maybe another family member also has a similar hearing loss.The hearing loss does not change from day to day.

 In both of these situations, it is possible to improve hearing by

removing the stapes bone and replacing it with a micro prosthesis - a stapedectomy,or creating a small hole in the fixed stapes footplace and inserting a tiny,piston-like prosthesisa stapedotomy. The results of this surgery are generally most reliable in patients whose stapes has lost mobility because of otosclerosis. Nine out of ten patients who undergo the procedure will come out with significantly improved hearing while less than 1% will experience worsened hearing ability or deafness.Successful surgery usually provides an increase in hearing ability of about 20 dB. That is as much difference as having your hands over both ears, or not. However, most of the published results of success fall within the speech frequency of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz; poorer results are typically obtained in the high frequencies, but these are normally less hampered by otosclerosis in the first place.

 Location of the ossicular chain in the ear

 If the stapes footplate is fixed in position, rather than

being normally mobile, then a conductive hearing loss results. There are two major causes of stapes fixation: The first is a disease process of abnormal mineralization of the temporal bone called otosclerosis. The second is a congenital malformation of the stapes.

 A stapes operation can be performed to improve

hearing in patients who have a frozen or stuck stapes bone. This usually occurs in patients who have the condition called otosclerosis, but can occur in other hereditary conditions or in patients who have had very severe middle ear infections or previous surgeries. The stapes is the last hearing bone in the chain of bones in the middle ear, and it is normally mobile and attached by a ligament to an opening of the bone that houses the inner ear, called the oval window. A frozen stapes bone causes a mechanical or conductive hearing loss.

A microscope and laser are used.

preparation
Patients are asked to notify the surgeon if they develop a

cold or sore throat within a week of the scheduled surgery. The procedure should be postponed in order to minimize the risk of infection being carried from the upper respiratory tract to the ear. Some surgeons prefer to use general anesthesia when performing a stapedectomy, although an increasing number are using local anesthesia. A sedative injection is given to the patient before surgery.

Photorefractive keratectomy

 Photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, is a type of laser

eye surgery used to correct mild to moderate nearsightedness,farsightedness and/or astigmatism.

All laser vision correction surgeries work by reshaping the

cornea, or clear front part of the eye,so that light traveling through it is properly focused onto the retina located in the back of the eye. There are a number of different surgical techniques used to reshape the cornea. During PRK, an eye surgeon uses a laser to reshape the cornea. This laser,which delivers a cool pulsing beam of ultraviolet light,is used on the surface of the cornea not underneath the cornea, as in LASIK. In photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), an ophthalmologist uses a laser beam; with laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), the ophthalmologist uses a laser beam and a tiny blade to reshape the cornea.

preparation
Eye preparation

Before the procedure begins, a nurse or technician talks to the patient about any immediate health problems that may affect readiness for the procedure. Antibiotic and anesthetic eye drops are then placed in the eye to numb it and prevent infection. The eye is swabbed with a sterile solution.The eyelid is then propped open with a lid retainer, and a paper or plastic "mask" is placed over the eye to keep eyelashes out of the way. The final step before the procedure begins is marking the cornea with a blue "dye ring," which serves as a reference point for the surgeon throughout the procedure. Because the cornea is numb, most patients experience little if any discomfort during these pre-operative preparations.

 On the day of your surgery, eat a light meal before

coming and take all of your prescribed medications. Do not wear eye makeup or have any bulky accessories in your hair that will interfere with positioning your head under the laser. If you are not feeling well that morning, call the doctor's office to determine whether the procedure needs to be postponed. immediately and refrain from using creams, lotions, makeup, or perfume for at least two days before surgery. Patients may also be asked to scrub their eyelashes for a period of time to remove any debris.

The patient is advised to discontinue contact lens wear