II Clinic of Ophthalmology, Medical Academy in Lublin, Poland.
Thirty years ago, the method of cataract cryoextraction was reported. The possibilities of low-temperature application in medicine were revealed and gave rise to the new branch of ophthalmology called cryoophthalmology. This article presents the development of this science, its achievements in ophthalmology, and the theoretic basis for using low temperatures in ocular diseases. Thirty years have passed, but cryoophthalmology still maintains its importance and usefulness, and many research centers all over the world are involved with it.