Laser Eye Surgery Terminology

When it comes to researching the ins-and-outs of Laser Eye Surgery, a lot of scientific words can be thrown about that are often never explained.

So rather than having to search the meaning of each one, here’s a quick list of the most common language used so you can get up to speed when it comes to Laser Eye Surgery.

Aberration: A vision defect caused by a flaw in the structure of the cornea. There are two types of aberrations – higher and lower.

Ablation: The process in which cells are removed from the surface of the cornea by laser energy.

Astigmatism: When the cornea is an irregular shape – oval instead of spherical – it causes vision to appear blurry. Often astigmatism presents itself along with myopia or hyperopia.

Cornea: Transparent dome shaped layer at the front of the eye that has microscopic amounts of tissue removed from it during Laser Eye Surgery.

Excimer Laser: Extremely precise laser used to reshape the cornea. It uses a cool beam of light so surrounding eye tissue is unaffected by Laser Eye Surgery.

Femtosecond Laser: Creates the corneal flap needed for Laser Eye Surgery.

Hyperopia: Long or farsightedness that causes objects up close to appear out of focus.

IntraLase: Using bladeless technology, IntraLase represents the latest advances in Laser Eye Surgery.

LASIK: Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis – the most common Laser Eye Surgery procedure. It requires the creation of a corneal flap in order to expose the part of the cornea that receives corrective treatment.

Myopia: Short or nearsightedness causes objects in the distance to appear blurry.

Presbyopia: When the eye is unable to focus clearly on near objects because of the ageing process. The condition is commonly associated with the need for reading glasses.

PRK: Photorefractive Keratectomy is a type of Laser Eye Surgery that sees the outer layer of the cornea removed by an alcohol solution instead of creating a corneal flap. Recovery time is longer than LASIK or other procedures.

Refraction: The process that takes place in the eye whereby light rays are bent so that they focus directly on the back of the eye.

Refractive Surgery: Another term for Laser Eye Surgery.

Refractive Error: If you suffer from myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism you are deemed to have a refractive error – light that enters the eye isn’t refracted correctly.

Topography: The process in which a map of the cornea’s surface is created, illustrating it’s curve and any aberrations.

WaveFront: A customized Laser Eye Surgery procedure that corrects the exact errors on your cornea.

To find out more about Laser Eye Surgery, book your free consultation on +353 1 223 8821.