Lasik Eye Surgery Questions

Amblyopia: (from the Greek "dulled vision") is poor vision in an eye that did not develop normal sight during early childhood. It is sometimes called "lazy eye." When one eye develops good vision while the other does not, the eye with poorer vision is called amblyopic. The condition is common, affecting approximately three out of every one hundred people, usually children. It is a developmental disorder of the brain cells that control the vision in an eye, not a problem with the eye itself. There are more nerves connected from the normal eye to the brain than from the amblyopic eye to the brain because brain cells diminish in size when they are not used. The amblyopic eye is unable to see in three-dimensional depth

Anisometropia: difference in the refractive error of the eyes, eg. one eye is nearsighted and the other farsighted.

Astigmatism  a distortion of the image on the retina caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens.

Cornea  the clear, front part of the eye. The cornea is the first part of the eye that bends (or refracts) the light and provides most of the

Endothelium  the inner layer of cells on the inside surface of the cornea.

Epithelium  the outermost layer of cells of the cornea and the eye's first defense against infection.

Excimer laser  an ultraviolet laser used in refractive surgery to remove corneal tissue.

Farsightedness  the common term for hyperopia

Flap & Zap  a slang term for LASIK

Hyperopia  the inability to see near objects as clearly as distant objects, and the need for accommodation to see distant objects clearly.

Inflammation  the body's reaction to trauma, infection, or a foreign substance, often associated with pain, heat, redness, swelling, and/or loss of function. 

Iris  the colored ring of tissue suspended behind the cornea and immediately in front of the lens.

Lasek Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelium Keratomileusis (LASEK) is the detachment of the epithelium with the use of an alcohol solution that softens the epithelium and allows it to be rolled back into a flap. The flap of epithelium is then be repositioned over the cornea following excimer ablations

Laser  the acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. A laser is an instrument that produces a powerful beam of light that can vaporize tissue.

LASIK  the acronym for laser assisted in situ keratomileusis which refers to creating a flap in the cornea with a microkeratome and using a laser to reshape the underlying cornea.

Myopia the inability to see distant objects as clearly as near objects.

Nearsightedness  the common term for myopia.

Ophthalmologist  a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and medical or surgical treatment of visual disorders and eye disease.

PRK  the acronym for photorefractive keratectomy which is a 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 stroma.

Presbyopia  the inability to maintain a clear image (focus) as objects are moved closer. Presbyopia is due to reduced elasticity of the lens with increasing age.

Radial Keratotomy  commonly referred to as RK; a surgical procedure designed to correct myopia (nearsightedness) by flattening the cornea using radial cuts.

Refraction  a test to determine the refractive power of the eye; also, the bending of light as it passes from one medium into another.

Refractive Errors  imperfections in the focusing power of the eye, for example, hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism.

Ultraviolet radiation: (UVR) constitutes high energy electromagnetic waves from the sun. These waves can also be given off by artificial sources like welding machines, tanning beds and lasers. Their reflective nature increases their potential intensity. UVR is divided into UV-A, UV-B and UV-C.
UVR is a contributor in the development of several eye disorders. These include age related macular degeneration, cataracts, pterygium, photokeratitis, and pinguecula.