Iridotomies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surgical procedure involving the incision of the iris to treat various eye conditions
2. An operation that creates an opening in the iris to allow fluid to drain and relieve intraocular pressure
3. A technique performed to address issues within the eye by cutting the iris to improve drainage or prevent complications

Etymology: "Iridotomies" is the plural of "iridotomy," a surgical procedure in which a small opening is cut in the iris, the coloured membrane around the pupil, usually with a laser. The noun is built from two classical elements: "irido-," from the Greek "iris," meaning "rainbow" and, in anatomy, the coloured part of the eye, and "-tomy," from the Greek "tomē," meaning "a cutting." Put together, the name describes exactly what the surgeon does: it cuts the iris. The plural form simply reflects that more than one such procedure may be performed, typically one per eye or repeated over time. Its meaning is set by the two parts: "irido-" supplies the anatomical reference and "-tomy" the act of incision, a pattern shared by many medical terms such as "appendectomy" and "tracheotomy."