Ophtalmology

Our eyes – one of our five sense organs – are of great importance for our daily life and quality of life. Starting regular eye exams at infancy enables diagnosing the diseases at early stages and facilitates the treatment process.

The diseases that are diagnosed and treated at ophthalmology department are briefly explained below; however, it is necessary to at least roughly know the structures forming the eye globe.

The outermost part of the eye is cornea. Having a transparent structure, the cornea is the point where the light contacts the eye and refracts. The colored part of eye, namely the iris, is located immediately behind the cornea. Pupil is located at the center of iris.   

Appearing black while looking from outside, the lens is located behind the pupil. Behind the lens, there is the cavity of globe and this cavity is filled with a gel-like structure called vitreus. The sclera, white part of the eye, surrounds the entire eye globe, except for the cornea. Retina is the innermost lining of the eye globe.  

There is the yellow spot (macula) within the retina, which enables clear vision, at backmost part of the eye globe. The image formed in macula is transmitted into brain by the optic nerve.

Early diagnosis in childhood prevents onset of irreversible disorders

Regular examination for eyes that plays a major role in quality of life should be started at infancy.  

Congenital cataract, occluded lacrimal canals, congenital glaucoma, amblyopia and strabismus are among the ophthalmic diseases that commonly develop at childhood.   

Surgical corrections, eyeglasses, contact lenses and special lasers are used to treat the ophthalmic diseases of childhood.

Refractive surgery department deals with diagnosis and treatment of refractory disorders in the eye. This unit basically deals with refractory disorders of cornea and native lens.

For refractory disorders in cornea which is the transparent layer at the outermost part of the eye, ocular topography device that evaluates the corneal surface, keratometer that measures the cornea’s strength to refract the light, specular microscopy and devices measuring the thickness of cornea (pachymetry) are used.   

Depending on type and severity of the disorder, various techniques are used, such as PRK, LASEK and LASIK. The technology behind these techniques is Excimer Laser. The common purpose of these methods is to reshape the surface of cornea and eliminate the refractory disorder. Treatment of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism is also ensured.

For cornea transplantation please see our transplantation page.

Diseases of Lens – Cataract

Having a transparent structure, the lens loses its transparency and opacifies, sometimes congenitally and due to aging and environmental factors in other cases. The main function of lens is to focus the light to the macula; therefore, vision gets blur as a result of opacification.   

This condition is called cataract and the only treatment is to replace the lens with an artificial one. Today, PHACO (phacoemulsification) is a spectacular method that enables treatment of cataract without placement of sutures.   

In PHACI surgery, the native lens is removed through a hole measuring several millimeters in size and an artificial lens (intraocular lens) is implanted through the same hole. The developments in lens technology have enabled simultaneous treatment of hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism using the intraocular lenses.

Retina is the structure that lines the inner wall of the eye globe. The inner limit of the retina is adjacent to vitreus (aqueous humor) and the common name of procedures performed at this part of the eye is viroretinal surgery.   

In case of a tear in retina for any reason, vitreus advances through this hole and separates the retina from sclera. In this case, retina collapses inside the globe and impairs the vision.   

For diagnosis of this condition called retinal detachment, optic coherence tomography, also called eye tomography, and ophthalmic angiography are used. For mild conditions, Argon Laser is used for treatment while vitrectomy is required at late stages.

Intraocular pressure depends on the fluid that fills the globe, namely vitreus. Excessive production of this fluid or failure to drain it properly increases the intraocular pressure, resulting in damage to the macula –the backmost part of the eye globe- and the optic nerve.   

As a result, visual field is lost and visual acuity decreases. This disease usually progresses insidiously and regular eye exam is critical for early diagnosis.

Hera Healthcare provides you with unlimited expert and technology choices for treatment of ophthalmic diseases ranging from congenital eye disorders to oculoplasty, refractory disorders, retinal and macular diseases secondary to aging and diabetes to the cornea transplant.

Please contact us for special counseling.