Glossary
Ablation - removal of tissue with the excimer laser.
Ablation Zone - area of tissue that is removed during laser surgery.
Accommodation - an ability of the eyes to change focus from near to far, far to near, and all distances in between.
Acuity - clearness or sharpness of vision.
Allegretto Wave - a laser system using PerfectPulse Technology to safely and accurately control every single laser pulse from start to finish. It offers a customized treatment that incorporates wavefront principles to patients with nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Astigmatism - a condition where the cornea is steeper in one axis versus another instead of being spherical (i.e., the cornea is more football-shaped than basketball-shaped).
Board certified - having completed the process by which a person is tested and approved to practice in a specialty field. For a physician, board certification means the highest level of certification in their profession.
Cataract - a cloudiness or opacity of the normally clear human lens. As the opacity worsens, the vision declines.
Conductive keratoplasty (CK) - a procedure that uses mild heat from radio waves to shrink the glue-like connective tissue (collagen) in the periphery of the cornea.
Cornea - the transparent circular part of the front of the eyeball. It refracts the light entering the eye to focus it onto the retina.
Corneal Transplantation - a diseased or scarred cornea is replaced with a healthy cornea.
Crystalens® - an FDA-approved intraocular lens for the visual correction of adults with cataracts (clouded lenses) with or without presbyopia, or lenses that have aged or become more rigid.
Custom LASIK - uses 3-dimensional measurements of how your eye processes images to guide the laser in re-shaping the front part of the eye.
Custom PRK - a procedure that enables your laser vision correction surgeon to further customize the conventional PRK procedure to your individual eyes and provides an additional level of data about your vision requirements using wavefront technology.
Diamond Instruments - hand-made microscopic instruments with actual gem-grade diamonds, used in eye surgery because they are far more accurate and gentler than steel instruments.
Diopter - the measurement of refractive error; a negative diopter signifies an eye with myopia (nearsightedness), a positive diopter signifies an eye with hyperopia (farsightedness).
Dry eye syndrome - is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye.
Endothelium - layer of cells on the inside surface of the cornea.
Epithelium - outermost layer of cells of the cornea and the eye's first defense against infection.
Excimer Laser - the device that physically corrects your prescription during surgery.
Farsightedness - the inability of the eye to focus on nearby objects. The farsighted eye has no difficulty viewing distant objects.
Glaucoma - an eye disease where high eye pressure and other factors can cause loss of vision if not treated.
Glare – complication of refractive surgery in which scatter from bright light decreases vision.
Halo - complication of refractive surgery in which patient sees rings around lights due to optical imperfections in or in front of the eye.
High order aberrations - have relatively unfamiliar names such as coma, spherical aberration and trefoil. These types of aberrations can produce vision errors such as difficulty seeing at night, glare, halos, blurring, starburst patterns or double vision (diplopia).
Hyperopia – farsightedness, a plus correction in glasses or contacts.
Intra-Ocular Lens Implant (IOL) - the man-made crystal-clear lens that replaces the cloudy cataract after it is removed. Usually made of acrylic or silicone.
Iris - the blue, green, or brown part of the front of the eye that gives the eye its color. The lens is behind the iris.
Keratectomy - surgical removal of corneal tissue.
Keratotomy - surgical incision of the cornea.
Keratitis - inflammation of the cornea.
Laser Correction of Nearsightedness, Farsightedness and Astigmatism - vision is corrected or improved with an excimer laser, which uses a very thin beam of light of high energy to sculpt small amounts of tissue from the corneal surface, also called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or LASIK.
LASIK - refers to Laser In Situ Keratomileusis. After a "pancake" of corneal tissue is prepared and folded back, the excimer laser is used to sculpt a small amount of corneal tissue to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Lens - the normally clear human tissue that helps to focus light in the eye and create clear vision.
Limbal relaxing incisions (LRI) - tiny cuts made around the edge of the cornea, called the limbus. These incisions "relax" the cornea's steep curvature and improve the way the eye focuses light.
Microkeratome - instrument a surgeon uses to create the corneal flap in the uppermost layer of the cornea during the LASIK procedure.
Monovision - Purposeful adjustment of dominant eye for distance vision and the other for near vision.
Myopia - nearsightedness.
Multi-Focal Lens Implant - a man-made lens that is placed in the eye that can eliminate or reduce the need for glasses by focusing multiple zones of light onto the retina at once.
Nearsightedness - a vision condition in which near objects are seen clearly, but distant objects do not come into proper focus.
Nuclear Cataract - haziness of the central part of the normally clear human lens. Happens to every eye with age.
Phacoemulsification - a technique of removing the cataract with an ultra-sound probe to make the surgery less invasive.
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) - procedure involving the removal of the surface layer of the cornea (epithelium) by gentle scraping and use of a computer controlled excimer laser to reshape the cornea.
Presbyopia - age related inability to focus on near objects due to reduced elasticity of the lens; usually begins to surface between ages 40-45.
Pterygia - a wedge- or wing-shaped growths of benign fibrous tissue with blood vessels (fibrovascular), typically located on the surface tissue of the sclera.
Pupil - the round opening of the iris that lets light enter the eye. The pupil is dilated (enlarged) using eye drops during your eye exam so that the entire eye may be examined more easily.
Radial and Astigmatic Keratectomy (RK and AK - radial incisions on the surface of the cornea correct nearsightedness; arcuate incisions are used to correct astigmatism.
Refraction - the change in the direction of light rays when they pass from one transparent medium to another of a different density. Errors in refraction occur when light rays do not come to a focus on the retina due to curvature of the cornea or lens, causing nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
Refractive Lens Surgery - removing a relatively clear, but dysfunctional, human lens and replacing it with a man-made lens that can address focusing problems of the eye.
RESTASIS - the eye drop that helps increase your eyes’ natural ability to produce tears.
ReSTOR® IOL – a lens that was designed to provide quality vision throughout the entire visual spectrum – near through distance – with increased independence from reading glasses or bifocals.
Retina - the tissue deep within the eye upon which the light is focused (analogous to the film in a camera).
Sclera - tough, white, outer layer (coat) of the eyeball that , along with the cornea, protects the eyeball.
Single Focus Lens Implant - a man-made lens that is placed into the eye, typically to focus distance objects onto the retina. Glasses are then used for near and intermediate vision.
TECNIS™ IOL - a clear intraocular lens (IOL) that replaces the eye's natural crystalline lens and restores vision, including nighttime vision.
TORIC IOL - an artificial lens implanted in the eye to restore vision after a clouded natural lens (cataract) is removed.
Visian ICL™ - an implantable Collamer® lens used in refractive surgery to correct myopia.
VISX STAR S4 - one of the most advanced systems on the market today for faster treatments using variable spot beam technology and an eye tracking system that tracks in all three dimensions.
Vitreous - the clear jelly-like substance inside of the eye behind the lens/cataract and in front of the retina.
Wavefront - allows the surgeon to tailor the laser beam settings, making the surgical procedure itself more precise. In this way, wavefront technology offers the patients sharper, crisper, better quality vision, as well as a reduction in nighttime vision difficulties, such as halos and glare.
Ablation Zone - area of tissue that is removed during laser surgery.
Accommodation - an ability of the eyes to change focus from near to far, far to near, and all distances in between.
Acuity - clearness or sharpness of vision.
Allegretto Wave - a laser system using PerfectPulse Technology to safely and accurately control every single laser pulse from start to finish. It offers a customized treatment that incorporates wavefront principles to patients with nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Astigmatism - a condition where the cornea is steeper in one axis versus another instead of being spherical (i.e., the cornea is more football-shaped than basketball-shaped).
Board certified - having completed the process by which a person is tested and approved to practice in a specialty field. For a physician, board certification means the highest level of certification in their profession.
Cataract - a cloudiness or opacity of the normally clear human lens. As the opacity worsens, the vision declines.
Conductive keratoplasty (CK) - a procedure that uses mild heat from radio waves to shrink the glue-like connective tissue (collagen) in the periphery of the cornea.
Cornea - the transparent circular part of the front of the eyeball. It refracts the light entering the eye to focus it onto the retina.
Corneal Transplantation - a diseased or scarred cornea is replaced with a healthy cornea.
Crystalens® - an FDA-approved intraocular lens for the visual correction of adults with cataracts (clouded lenses) with or without presbyopia, or lenses that have aged or become more rigid.
Custom LASIK - uses 3-dimensional measurements of how your eye processes images to guide the laser in re-shaping the front part of the eye.
Custom PRK - a procedure that enables your laser vision correction surgeon to further customize the conventional PRK procedure to your individual eyes and provides an additional level of data about your vision requirements using wavefront technology.
Diamond Instruments - hand-made microscopic instruments with actual gem-grade diamonds, used in eye surgery because they are far more accurate and gentler than steel instruments.
Diopter - the measurement of refractive error; a negative diopter signifies an eye with myopia (nearsightedness), a positive diopter signifies an eye with hyperopia (farsightedness).
Dry eye syndrome - is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye.
Endothelium - layer of cells on the inside surface of the cornea.
Epithelium - outermost layer of cells of the cornea and the eye's first defense against infection.
Excimer Laser - the device that physically corrects your prescription during surgery.
Farsightedness - the inability of the eye to focus on nearby objects. The farsighted eye has no difficulty viewing distant objects.
Glaucoma - an eye disease where high eye pressure and other factors can cause loss of vision if not treated.
Glare – complication of refractive surgery in which scatter from bright light decreases vision.
Halo - complication of refractive surgery in which patient sees rings around lights due to optical imperfections in or in front of the eye.
High order aberrations - have relatively unfamiliar names such as coma, spherical aberration and trefoil. These types of aberrations can produce vision errors such as difficulty seeing at night, glare, halos, blurring, starburst patterns or double vision (diplopia).
Hyperopia – farsightedness, a plus correction in glasses or contacts.
Intra-Ocular Lens Implant (IOL) - the man-made crystal-clear lens that replaces the cloudy cataract after it is removed. Usually made of acrylic or silicone.
Iris - the blue, green, or brown part of the front of the eye that gives the eye its color. The lens is behind the iris.
Keratectomy - surgical removal of corneal tissue.
Keratotomy - surgical incision of the cornea.
Keratitis - inflammation of the cornea.
Laser Correction of Nearsightedness, Farsightedness and Astigmatism - vision is corrected or improved with an excimer laser, which uses a very thin beam of light of high energy to sculpt small amounts of tissue from the corneal surface, also called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or LASIK.
LASIK - refers to Laser In Situ Keratomileusis. After a "pancake" of corneal tissue is prepared and folded back, the excimer laser is used to sculpt a small amount of corneal tissue to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Lens - the normally clear human tissue that helps to focus light in the eye and create clear vision.
Limbal relaxing incisions (LRI) - tiny cuts made around the edge of the cornea, called the limbus. These incisions "relax" the cornea's steep curvature and improve the way the eye focuses light.
Microkeratome - instrument a surgeon uses to create the corneal flap in the uppermost layer of the cornea during the LASIK procedure.
Monovision - Purposeful adjustment of dominant eye for distance vision and the other for near vision.
Myopia - nearsightedness.
Multi-Focal Lens Implant - a man-made lens that is placed in the eye that can eliminate or reduce the need for glasses by focusing multiple zones of light onto the retina at once.
Nearsightedness - a vision condition in which near objects are seen clearly, but distant objects do not come into proper focus.
Nuclear Cataract - haziness of the central part of the normally clear human lens. Happens to every eye with age.
Phacoemulsification - a technique of removing the cataract with an ultra-sound probe to make the surgery less invasive.
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) - procedure involving the removal of the surface layer of the cornea (epithelium) by gentle scraping and use of a computer controlled excimer laser to reshape the cornea.
Presbyopia - age related inability to focus on near objects due to reduced elasticity of the lens; usually begins to surface between ages 40-45.
Pterygia - a wedge- or wing-shaped growths of benign fibrous tissue with blood vessels (fibrovascular), typically located on the surface tissue of the sclera.
Pupil - the round opening of the iris that lets light enter the eye. The pupil is dilated (enlarged) using eye drops during your eye exam so that the entire eye may be examined more easily.
Radial and Astigmatic Keratectomy (RK and AK - radial incisions on the surface of the cornea correct nearsightedness; arcuate incisions are used to correct astigmatism.
Refraction - the change in the direction of light rays when they pass from one transparent medium to another of a different density. Errors in refraction occur when light rays do not come to a focus on the retina due to curvature of the cornea or lens, causing nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
Refractive Lens Surgery - removing a relatively clear, but dysfunctional, human lens and replacing it with a man-made lens that can address focusing problems of the eye.
RESTASIS - the eye drop that helps increase your eyes’ natural ability to produce tears.
ReSTOR® IOL – a lens that was designed to provide quality vision throughout the entire visual spectrum – near through distance – with increased independence from reading glasses or bifocals.
Retina - the tissue deep within the eye upon which the light is focused (analogous to the film in a camera).
Sclera - tough, white, outer layer (coat) of the eyeball that , along with the cornea, protects the eyeball.
Single Focus Lens Implant - a man-made lens that is placed into the eye, typically to focus distance objects onto the retina. Glasses are then used for near and intermediate vision.
TECNIS™ IOL - a clear intraocular lens (IOL) that replaces the eye's natural crystalline lens and restores vision, including nighttime vision.
TORIC IOL - an artificial lens implanted in the eye to restore vision after a clouded natural lens (cataract) is removed.
Visian ICL™ - an implantable Collamer® lens used in refractive surgery to correct myopia.
VISX STAR S4 - one of the most advanced systems on the market today for faster treatments using variable spot beam technology and an eye tracking system that tracks in all three dimensions.
Vitreous - the clear jelly-like substance inside of the eye behind the lens/cataract and in front of the retina.
Wavefront - allows the surgeon to tailor the laser beam settings, making the surgical procedure itself more precise. In this way, wavefront technology offers the patients sharper, crisper, better quality vision, as well as a reduction in nighttime vision difficulties, such as halos and glare.
