The Anterior Segment specialty is responsible for the diagnosis, study and treatment of ocular pathologies related to lack of vision caused by defects in the ocular surface, the conjunctiva, the cornea, the anterior chamber, the iris and the lens. As such, it includes Dry Eye Syndrome, Cataract surgery, Cornea and Sclera Transplants, pupil reconstruction and surgical correction of refractive errors: myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism; the latter in turn make up a subspecialty known as Refractive Surgery

Specifically, it surgically treats refractive errors either with techniques on the cornea (LASIK-PRK), lenses in the anterior chamber, or acting on the lens (intraocular lenses).

Glaucoma is a complex eye disease; it is characterized by presenting neuropathy with changes in the optic nerve and deterioration of the visual field accompanied or not by ocular hypertension; can lead to blindness.

In this specialty, pathologies related to increased intraocular pressure are treated, in order to avoid damage to the optic nerve, compromise of the visual field and vision.

The eye is the sensory organ of the sense of sight. The images captured by the eye are processed by specific areas of the brain (which is actually the one who “sees”) and orders for eye movement and focus come from the central nervous system. These relationships between the eye and the central nervous system are the field of study of neuro-ophthalmology. This specialty of ophthalmology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of visual disorders related to the nervous system caused by diseases of the optic nerve, the visual pathways and the pupil. It also treats disorders in eye movements and the function of the eyelids, related to alterations in the nerve centers responsible for their control.

Specifically treats eye movement disorders; alterations generated by abnormal deviations of the eyes, or loss of parallelism, either horizontal or vertical, convergent or divergent, which are due to the imbalance in the functions of the extraocular muscles, responsible for the harmonic movements of the eyeballs. Problems such as loss of binocular vision, reduced vision in the deviated eye (amblyopia or lazy eye), and unfavorable cosmetic appearance are also discussed in this chapter.

They are therapeutic supports for the strabological subspecialty. It is responsible for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of visual disorders such as strabismus, double vision and lazy eye. Its objective is to correct visual deficiencies by stimulating the movement of the ocular structures, in addition to serving as a preventive treatment against visual fatigue.

This specialty of Ophthalmology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies in the posterior pole (posterior segment), that is, in the Retina and Vitreous. The most frequent pathologies are: Retinal Detachment, Senile Degeneration of the macula, Macular Holes, Diabetic Retinopathy, etc. That can prevent visual information from reaching the brain properly.

Uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, which is the middle layer between the sclera and the retina; it compromises the Iris, the Ciliary Body, the Choroid and the Retina. It can be caused by infections (Toxoplasmosis, Tuberculosis, AIDS, etc.) or be autoimmune (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, etc.) This specialty, together with Immunologists, diagnoses and treats these diseases, which can severely compromise vision of affected patients.

This subspecialty is in charge of the study, diagnosis and treatment of pathologies that affect the region of the eyelids and the middle and upper part of the face, including the orbit and the lacrimal duct: Eyelids, Conjunctiva, Lacrimal Ducts, Orbit (Fractures and Tumors) and Eyeball (Evisceration or Enucleation), both from a functional-reconstructive and aesthetic point of view.

EYE PROSTHESIS TECHNOLOGY

It is responsible for custom manufacturing the shells or ocular prostheses to reconstruct the aesthetics of the gaze in cases that require it.

It is in charge of visual prevention through non-invasive exams, they do the exam and the correction of visual acuity that can be remedied through glasses, contact lenses, and/or visual therapies. Its specialists are not doctors, they are graduates in Optics and measurement and treatment of Visual Acuity. Optometry is defined as the specialty that is responsible for primary care visual health.

The teamwork of the Optometrist with the Ophthalmologist is beneficial for the patients.

Low vision is the condition suffered by a person with a significant reduction in their vision without reaching blindness, which cannot be recovered with corrections with standard glasses, contact lenses, or with pharmacological treatments or surgical corrections; therefore suffers difficulty or inability to perform tasks of daily life. The aim is to magnify the image by means of special lenses (magnifying glasses) or integrated spatial recognition systems with cameras for subnormal vision.