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Glossary of Eye Terms
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). Astigmatism Management - performing special procedures in order to decrease or prevent worsening of astigmatism after cataract or refractive lens surgery to aid sharp vision.
Capsule of the Lens - the thin membrane that holds the cataract and then later, the man-made lens implant, in the eye
Cataract - a cloudiness or opacity of the normally clear human lens. As the opacity worsens, the vision declines.
Clear-Corneal Phacoemulsification - a technique of cataract surgery that is blood-less, pain-less, and suture-less.
Cornea - the clear dome of tissue at the front of the eye that focuses light (contact lenses fit over the cornea)
Cortical Cataract - opacities in the human lens that are similar to bicycle spokes in their appearance. They cause a lot of glare and may progress rapidly.
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
Extracapsular Surgery - older technique of cataract surgery that uses steel scissors to cut the eye wall and then many nylon stitches to put it back together.
Glaucoma - an eye disease where high eye pressure and other factors can cause loss of vision if not treated
Intra-Ocular Lens Implant - 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.
Lens - the normally clear human tissue that helps to focus light in the eye and create clear vision
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.
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
Pre-Operative Medical Clearance - a visit to your internist or primary care doctor a week or two before your surgery in order to make sure that you have no major medical issues (such as an irregular heartbeat, breathing problems, etc)
Presbyopia - the inability to focus on near objects due to age-related changes to the human lens.
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.
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
Retina - the tissue deep within the eye upon which the light is focused (analogous to the film in a camera).
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.
Subcapsular Cataract - a type of cataract where the opacity is just under the capsule. Seen more commonly in diabetics and in people taking steroids (corticosteroids).
Vitreous - the clear jelly-like substance inside of the eye behind the lens/cataract and in front of the retina.
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