Glossary of Lasik Eye Surgery Terms
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK): Medical procedure in which, by means of a laser, the outer layer of the cornea, called the epithelium, is scraped away in order to reshape the eye to refract light properly. Lasik eye surgery, or Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis: the newest and most successful surgery that utilizes a laser to reshape the cornea and improve vision. Cornea: the outer layer of the eye. It is the transparent coating whose shape is important in refracting light coming into the eye. Lens: this is another transparent part of the eye that is slightly rigid and refracts light even more. Myopia: this is nearsightedness, the most common of vision problems. It results from a curvature of the cornea that is different than the desirable angle of refraction, giving blurred vision to objects in the distance. Hyperopia: this is farsightedness, much the same as myopia. However, the problem in the cornea results in blurred vision in objects that are close, rather than far away. Astigmatism: this is a form of vision problem that causes an image to be improperly reflected on the retina. This results from a misshapen cornea or lens. Presbyopia: this is a condition of the eye in which the lens becomes hard and rigid. This is part of the natural aging process and cannot be affected by LASIK surgery. Excimer Laser: this variety of laser gives off cool, minute beams that cut in small increments and are used in the LASIK surgery. Opthamologist: doctor whose specialty is eyes and vision. Orthokeratology: a procedure that inserts rigid rings into the cornea in order to alter its shape. Thermokeratoplasty: this surgery uses a heat source to change the shape of the eye by making it malleable. Retina: the surface on the back of the eye. It has photo receptors on it which receive an image as refracted by the cornea and lens, compute it, and send it back to the brain along the optic nerve. Wavefront Mapping: this is a procedure a doctor uses before surgery. A beam of light is passed along the eye in order to map the surface of the cornea and determine where incisions should be made during surgery. Radial Keratotomy: A surgery that, like LASIK, aims to correct the refraction of the eye by altering the shape of the cornea. However, it is performed with a scalpel and not as accurate as LASIK. Terakontonus: a medical condition in which the shape of the eye is naturally misshapen by genetics.
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