Iridectomy

DEFINITION of Iridectomy

An iridectomy (also known as corectomy) is a surgical procedure involving the removal of a specific piece of iris tissue. It is most commonly performed to treat closed-angle glaucoma by creating a new pathway for aqueous humor to drain from the posterior to the anterior chamber, thereby relieving intraocular pressure. The procedure can be classified by the amount of tissue removed:

• Peripheral Iridectomy: Removal of a small portion of the iris root, often used for glaucoma (standard or laser).
• Sector (Complete) Iridectomy: Removal of a radial section extending from the pupil margin to the root, leaving a “keyhole” pupil [web:24].
• Optical (Stenopeic) Iridectomy: Creation of an artificial pupil to improve vision when the natural pupil is obstructed

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ETYMOLOGY of Iridectomy

greek iris + ektomē The term is a compound of two primary Greek roots: * irid-: Derived from the Greek iris (genitive iridos), meaning “rainbow” or “halo,” referring to the colored circle of the eye. * -ectomy: Derived from the Greek ektomē (“excision”), which comes from ek (“out”) + temnein (“to cut”)

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DERIVATIONS of Iridectomy

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RELATED TERMS to Iridectomy

| Term | Root Breakdown | Meaning | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Iridotomy | irid- + -tomy | Incision into the iris (often by laser) without tissue removal. |
| Iridoplasty | irid- + -plasty | Surgical repair or restructuring of the iris. |
| Iridocyclitis | irid- + cycl- + -itis | Inflammation of the iris and ciliary body. |
| Corectomy | cor- (pupil) + -ectomy | A synonym for iridectomy (removal of part of the iris/pupil). |
| Aniridia | an- + irid- + -ia | Congenital absence of the iris. |
| Rubeosis Iridis | rube- + irid- | Neovascularization (new blood vessels) of the iris. |

CODING NOTES (CPT & ICD-10)

For professional coding context:

• CPT 66600: Iridectomy, with corneoscleral or corneal section; for removal of lesion.
• CPT 66625: Iridectomy… peripheral for glaucoma (separate procedure).
• CPT 66630: Iridectomy… sector for glaucoma (separate procedure).
• CPT 66761: iridotomy/Iridectomy by laser surgery (e.g., for glaucoma) (per session).
• CPT 00147: Anesthesia for Iridectomy

Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms