iridectomy

medicine

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "iridectomy" refers to a surgical procedure involving the iris, which is the colored, muscular part of the eye that surrounds the pupil. The iris controls the amount of light entering the eye by adjusting the size of the pupil. An iridectomy is a procedure where a portion of the iris is removed. This procedure is performed on the iris, which is located in front of the lens and behind the cornea, and is bathed in aqueous humor. The iris contains smooth muscles that can dilate or constrict the pupil. Inflammation of the iris is known as iritis, which can lead to complications like glaucoma and blindness.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Albrecht von Gräfe
He introduced (1857) iridectomy (surgical removal of part of the iris) for the alleviation of glaucoma, a disease resulting in opacity of the lens. He showed (1860) that blindness and visual defects connected with cerebral disorders are often traceable to optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve.…
Read More
He introduced (1857) iridectomy (surgical removal of part of the iris) for the alleviation of glaucoma, a disease resulting in opacity of the lens. He showed (1860) that blindness and visual defects connected with cerebral disorders are often traceable to optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve.…
Read More