The History of the Development of Ophthalmology in Georgia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Medicine, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia

2 Chichua Medical Center MZERA, Tbilisi, Georgia

3 Department of Bioethics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia

10.30476/rhm.2025.104775.1255

Abstract

Ophthalmology has been an integral part of daily medical activities since time immemorial, as it refers to the organ on which a person’s perception of the world depends. This research aimed to find information about the Georgian School of Ophthalmology and to systematize it. Within the scope of the study, monuments of ancient Georgian medical literature, works and monographs by medical historians, internet materials, and modern collections were searched and analyzed. The study revealed that the history of the ophthalmology school in Georgia is quite complex. This is especially well documented in the works of Zaza Fanaskertel-Tsitsishvili, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, and David Batonishvili. During the Middle Ages, Georgian knowledge of the visual system employed the principles of Eastern medicine. By the 10th century, ideas about the anatomy, physiology, and pathologies of the visual system, as well as treatment methods, were already well established. As for the modern school of ophthalmology, information can be found in various Georgian and foreign language sources, including numerous reports, facts, and episodes. The mentioned discoveries and all available information are systematized in this article.

Keywords

Journal of Research on History of Medicine
Volume 14, Issue 4
November 2025
Pages 337-352

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