LASIK Glossary of Terms

Welcome to our LASIK Glossary of Terms, designed to provide clear definitions of essential terms and concepts associated with LASIK surgery. Whether you’re exploring LASIK eye surgery or seeking to deepen your knowledge, this glossary offers insights into the LASIK procedure and its advantages.

A

• Aberration: Imperfections in the eye that can cause visual distortions. Higher-order aberrations can cause issues such as glare and halos.
• Ablation: The process of removing tissue from the cornea using a laser during LASIK eye surgery.
• Ablation Zone: The specific area of the cornea where tissue is removed during the LASIK procedure to correct vision.
• Accommodation: The eye’s capability to adjust its focus between distant and nearby objects.
• Astigmatism: A common eyesight problem, or in other words, a refractive error caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens, leading to blurred or distorted vision.

B

• Beam: A stream of light particles used in LASIK eye surgery to reshape the cornea.
• Bladeless LASIK: A LASIK procedure that uses a laser instead of a microkeratome blade to create the corneal flap. Also known as all-laser LASIK.
• Blurring: A temporary decrease in vision sharpness. Blurring is often experienced during the initial healing period following LASIK eye surgery.

C

• Cornea: The clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye and is reshaped during a LASIK procedure.
• Corneal Flap: A thin layer of corneal tissue that is lifted during LASIK surgery to allow the underlying cornea to be reshaped.

D

• Diopter: Diopter: A unit of measurement to measure how strong a lens is or the degree to which a person’s eye needs glasses.
• Dry Eye: A condition characterized by insufficient tears, which can be a temporary side effect of LASIK surgery.

E

• Epithelial Cells: The outermost layer of cells on the cornea that could be affected during the LASIK procedure.
• Excimer Laser: A type of ultraviolet laser used in LASIK surgery to precisely remove corneal tissue.

F

• Farsightedness (Hyperopia): A refractive error where distant objects are seen more clearly than nearer objects.
• Flap: A thin layer of corneal tissue that is lifted during LASIK surgery to allow the underlying cornea to be reshaped.

G

• Glare: Visual disturbances caused by bright lights, which can be a temporary side effect after LASIK surgery.

H

• Halos: Rings or circles of light that may appear around light sources, often experienced after LASIK eye surgery.
• Higher-Order Aberrations: Complex imperfections in the eye that can affect the quality of vision, such as glare and halos.

I

• IntraLase: A special laser that creates the corneal flap in LASIK surgery without using a blade.
• Iris: The colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil and the amount of light that enters the eye.

K

• Keratome: A surgical instrument used to create the corneal flap in traditional LASIK procedures.

L

• Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK): A surgical procedure that reshapes the cornea to correct refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
• Lower-Order Aberrations: Common vision imperfections, such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, which can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or LASIK surgery.

M

• Microkeratome: A precise surgical tool with a blade designed for creating the corneal flap in LASIK eye surgeries.
• Monovision: A technique where one eye is corrected for distance vision and the other is corrected for near vision, often used to treat presbyopia.
• Myopia: A refractive error where near objects are seen more clearly than distant objects (nearsightedness).

O

• Optometrist: A healthcare professional who provides primary vision care, including eye exams and can diagnose vision problems.
• Orthokeratology: A non-surgical method using specially shaped contact lenses to reshape the cornea temporarily and correct refractive errors.

P

• Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK): A laser eye surgery procedure similar to LASIK, but it does not involve creating a corneal flap.
• Presbyopia: An age-related condition occurring typically at ages 40 and older, where the eye loses its ability to focus on nearby objects.
• Pupil: The opening in the center of the iris that regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.

R

• Refractive Error: An imperfection in the eye’s ability to focus, causing blurred vision. Common types of refractive errors include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.
• Retina: The layer at the back of the eye that senses light and sends signals to the brain. This is how we process light and images.

S

• Sclera: The white outer layer of the eyeball.
• Spherical Aberration: A type of aberration that occurs when light rays pass through the edges of a lens, and they focus differently compared to those passing through the center.

T

• Topography: A detailed mapping of the surface curvature of the cornea used to guide LASIK surgery.
• Toric: Refers to a type of lens or correction used to treat astigmatism.

V

• Visual Acuity: The clarity or sharpness of vision, often measured with an eye chart.

W

• Wavefront Technology: Advanced diagnostic tool that creates a detailed map of the eye’s optical system, used to customize LASIK treatments.