Ophthalmology

If you have an eye disease or visual disorder, you may be referred to an ophthalmologist – also known as an eye doctor or eye surgeon.

Ophthalmologists are specialists who handle all the medical aspects of eye care, including treatment, surgery and the prescription of contact lenses and glasses as well as medicines for eye problems.

In Australia, ophthalmologists need to complete at least 5 years of specialist training after they become a doctor. Most are Fellows of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

How do they differ from optometrists and orthoptists?

Optometrists are university-trained eye care professionals who examine people’s eyes and prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses. They can give advice on visual problems and screen for conditions such as glaucoma. Optometrists can treat minor eye problems, but will refer you to an ophthalmologist for the diagnosis and treatment of more serious eye conditions.

Orthoptists are healthcare professionals who specialise in assessing and managing eye movement disorders, such as double vision and squints (strabismus) in children and adults. Their role includes caring for people with eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, as well as people with low vision and neurological vision disorders.

What conditions can ophthalmologists treat?

People are referred to an ophthalmologist when they have:

• partial or complete loss of vision
• eye injuries, pain or inflammation
• eye conditions, such as glaucoma
• health conditions that can affect their eyes, including diabetes and high blood pressure
• poor vision that needs specialist care

Ophthalmologists are surgeons, and can do:

• cataract surgery, in which they replace the lens of a person's eye
• refractive or laser surgery, which involves reshaping the cornea to correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness, or astigmatism
• surgery to correct misalignment of the eyes, or strabismus
• surgery to remove cancers, such as melanoma, from the eye
• treatment to repair damage caused by an eye injury