0 PERCENT INTEREST PAYMENT PLANS
Pay no interest for the duration of
this payment plan.
20/20
The representation for normal
eyesight where the first 20 refers to the standard distance in feet between the eye being assessed and the eye chart and the second 20 changes according to your visual acuity compared to the normal eye. A person with
20/20 vision can see the same small detail from 20
feet away that a person with normal eyesight would see from 20 feet away. If a person
has a visual acuity of 20/40, that person sees detail from 20 feet away as a
person with normal eyesight could see from 40 feet away. It is possible to have
vision superior to 20/20. For instance, 20/16 means that the person being tested can see from 20 feet away what a person with normal vision must be only 16 feet away to see clearly.
3D MAP OF YOUR VISION also WAVEFRONT MAP
A Wavefront Map is a precise measurement of your eye’s visual system that
identifies and measures refractive aberrations that impair vision. This map can
be sent to the laser system and act as a guide during a Custom LASIK surgical procedure, allowing the surgeon to customize the reshaping of the cornea
to each patient's unique case.
ACULAR®
Is the brand name for a drug, Ketorolac Tromethamine. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drop often used to reduce pain after PRK
surgery. It is manufactured by Allergan.
ABBOTT INTRALASE LASER PLATFORM
A fourth-generation laser designed as a primary laser for LASIK procedures and advanced corneal surgery procedures. Benefits include: better biomechanical stability, lower induced high-order aberrations and better refractive outcomes.
ACTIVETRAK 3D EYE TRACKER
ActiveTrak 3D follows the tiny motions of your eye instantaneously and automatically, in all three dimensions, repositioning the laser to ensure accuracy during your LASIK procedure.
ABLATION
This term is derived from the Latin “ablatio” for removed. This term refers to the laser removing corneal tissue during the LASIK procedure.
ABERRATIONS
These are distortions in the image formed by an optical system compared to the original
image. Aberrations occur when the light from one point of an object does not
focus correctly by converging into (or diverging from) a single point after transmission through the system.
ACUITY
This is a term that refers to clarity of vision. The most common measure of visual acuity is the Snellen Chart. On this chart, completely normal acuity is 20/20 or 6/6 (in metric).
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Woolfson Eye Institute makes tremendous investments in multiple state-of-the art laser and diagnostic platforms so that our surgeons, with their unmatched skill and experience, have every tool available to optimally address your case. Many other providers only have a single toolset available to them
(often older technology) that they have been fully trained on and obtained deep experience with. Woolfson LASIK is different and
qualitatively better because of this unparalleled combination of advanced technology and surgical skill and experience.
ALCON ALLEGRETTO WAVE LASER PLATFORM
The Alcon Allegretto Wave laser platform is designed to control each laser pulse from its generation to the exact point where it contacts the cornea.
AMBLYOPIA
Amblyopia is a term for poor vision without visible abnormality of the eye. It is often more colloquially referred to as lazy eye. Lazy eye is the leading cause of decreased vision among children. Left
untreated, the loss of vision may range from mild to severe.
ALCON
Alcon is an ophthalmic equipment and drug company.
ALLERGAN
Allergan is an ophthalmic equipment and drug company.
AMETROPIA
Ametropia is from the Greek for "disproportionate eye." This term refers to any imperfection in the refractive state of the eye. Thus, it is a collective term form hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism.
ANESTHETIC DROPS
Anesthetic
drops are a form of local anesthesia that can be administered directly into the
eye to reduce discomfort during and after eye procedures and treatments.
ARGON LASER
An argon laser is a device that produces laser light from argon gas. The main wavelengths are 488.0 nanometer “blue” and 514.5 nanometer “pea green” light, but as many as nine separate wavelengths in the blue-green visible light spectrum can be produced.
ASTIGMATIC KERATOTOMY (AK)
Astigmatic keratotomy, abbreviated AK, is a procedure that can help people with astigmatism see better. At times it is performed after LASIK or photorefractive keratectomy to improve vision in astigmatism cases. The eyes are measured to place incisions according to the amount of correction and amount of astigmatism. After the eyes are numbed with anesthetic drops, markers are placed in the cornea where the incisions should be made and specific incisions are made to change the curvature of the cornea, making it more spherical. Antibiotic drops are applied to prevent infection, and normal activities can usually be resumed in two days with vision improvement usually being noticed in one day to two weeks.
ANTERIOR
This refers to something
being situated before or at the front of. It is the opposite of posterior.
ANTIBIOTIC DROP
An antibiotic eye drop is used to destroy or inhibit the growth of other microorganisms.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DROP
An anti-inflammatory eye drop is used to reduce pain caused from inflammation.
ASTIGMATISM
Astigmatism is from the Greek for “negative point.” It refers to a refractive abnormality where light is not focused to a point on the retina. This is typically caused by the cornea being elliptical in shape rather than spherical. Refractive correction with a lens includes focusing power in one axis and no power in the opposite axis. The amount of astigmatism you have will appear in the second number of most glasses prescriptions. For example, a prescription of -4.00 -1.00 x 30° has 1.00 diopter of astigmatism.
AUTO-KERATOMETRY
Auto-keratometry refers to the usage of a microprocessor computer to facilitate the rapid measurement of the corneal curvature.
AUTO-REFRACTION
Auto-refraction is the process by which a computer-controlled machine determines the refractive error of an eye.
AUTOMATED LAMELLAR KERATECTOMY (ALK)
Automated lamellar keratectomy (ALK) is
a surgical procedure used to correct high degrees of nearsightedness (myopia)
and low to moderate amounts of farsightedness (hyperopia). The surgery is
performed with an instrument called an automated keratome and affects the shape
of the cornea to achieve the correction.
AXIS OF CYLINDRICAL CORRECTION
The axis describes the orientation of the cylindrical lens. The direction of the axis is in degrees measured counter-clockwise from the horizontal line through the centers of the pupils when viewed from front side of the glasses (i.e., when viewed from the point of view the person making the measurement). It varies from 1 to 180 degrees.
BEST CORRECTED VISUAL ACUITY (BCVA)
BCVA is a measurement of the best corrected visual acuity while wearing glasses or contact lenses.
BINOCULAR
Binocular, from the Latin for “two eyes,” refers to conditions or treatments applied to both eyes.
BLADELESS LASIK
With Bladeless LASIK, the surgeon uses a laser to create the corneal flap. This technology enables the surgeon to customize the corneal flap for
each individual patient. Patients who previously did not qualify for LASIK due to thin corneas now have
LASIK as an option.
BLEND ZONE
The blend zone is the peripheral area in a laser treatment where less laser energy is delivered, creating a smoothing effect to transition between treated and untreated cornea.
BUTTONHOLE FLAP
This refers to an error in the creation of the LASIK corneal flap. The microkeratome cuts through the flap, detaching it entirely instead of retaining its hinge. When possible, the flap is replaced and allowed to fully heal before any further vision correction is attempted. There are usually no permanent ill effects.
CALIBRATION
Calibration of a laser is the necessary process of measuring and setting the laser to the needed energy levels for accurate tissue removal.
CATARACT
A cataract is cloudiness or opacity of the originally clear lens of the eye.
CATARACT SURGERY
Cataract
surgery is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (crystalline
lens) that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract.
Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over time lead to the
development of the cataract and loss of transparency, causing impairment or loss
of vision. Many patients' first symptoms are strong glare from lights at night
along with reduced acuity at low light levels. During cataract surgery, a
patient's cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic lens to
restore lens transparency. PRELEX is essentially the same surgical
procedure performed not to remove a cataract but to restore focusing power
across a range of distances, thereby enhancing vision.
CENTRAL IRIS
Central iris or heterochromia is an eye condition where there are two colors in the same iris; the central (pupillary) zone of the iris is a different color than the mid-peripheral (ciliary) zone.
CENTRAL ISLAND
This is an error in a LASIK surgery where a tiny part of the treatment zone is not treated and remains microscopically higher than the surrounding treated area, causing double vision (diplopia).
CHAMBERS OF THE EYE
The eye is divided into three main spaces, or chambers. The largest is the vitreous chamber, which is filled with the amorphous and somewhat gelatinous material of the vitreous body. This material serves principally to maintain the eye's shape. The anterior and posterior chambers also play a major role in maintaining normal
eye shape through the mechanism of balancing the production and drainage of aqueous humor, the fluid that fills both chambers.
CIBA VISION OPHTHALMICS
CIBA Vision is an ophthalmic equipment and drug company.
COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION
This is the consultation with your Woolfson Eye Institute doctor where your medical condition, medical history and current case are reviewed and a comprehensive eye exam and appropriate additional testing are performed to begin to craft a customized treatment plan for you.
COMPUTER-CONTROLLED
A system that is controlled by a computer
at computer speed and with computer precision but typically still with human
setup or configuration and management.
CONCAVE
Concave means curving in or hollowed inward.
CONCAVE LENS
A concave lens has a hollow shape like the inside of a sphere that offers minus power to correct myopia or nearsightedness.
CONJUNCTIVA
The conjunctiva is the delicate mucous membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the white surface of the eye. It joins the eyeball at the edge of the cornea (or limbus).
CONTACTS
A thin plastic or glass lens that is fitted over the cornea of the eye to correct various vision
problems.
CONTRAINDICATION
A contraindication is a condition or factor that serves as a reason to withhold a certain medical treatment.
CONTRAST SENSITIVITY
Contrast sensitivity is a measure of the ability to discern between luminances
of different levels in a static image. Contrast sensitivity varies between
individuals, reaching a maximum at approximately 20 years of age and at spatial
frequencies of about two to five cycles/degree. It typically declines with age and other factors, such as cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.
CONVEX
Convex means curving out or bulging outward, as opposed to concave.
CONVEX LENS
A convex lens has a bulging surface like the outer surface of the globe and offers plus power used to correct hyperopia (farsightedness) and for reading glasses in presbyopia.
CORNEA
The cornea is the transparent window of the eye that allows light to pass in so that it can be processed as vision. It also allows light to pass out of the eye, which allows the iris and pupil of the eye to be seen. The cornea has five layers: corneal epithelium, Bowman's layer, corneal stroma, Descemet's layer and the corneal endothelium.
CORNEAL ABERRATION
A corneal aberration is an abnormality found on the cornea of an eye.
CORNEAL CONDITION
The general level of health of the cornea.
It can also refer to a medical condition or problem affecting the cornea.
CORNEAL CONTOUR
The curvature of the cornea.
CORNEAL ENDOTHELIUM
These are the cells on the inside surface of the cornea.
CORNEAL EPITHELIUM
This is the outer surface of the cornea.
CORNEAL HAZE
A corneal haze is a cloudiness of the normally clear cornea. Buildups of white blood cells, moisture, scar tissue or foreign substances, including drugs, can cloud the cornea. Many types of haze will disappear with time or drug treatment, but sometimes permanent hazes or scars form.
CORNEAL INCISION
A surgical cut made into the cornea during a
medical procedure.
CORNEAL SCARRING
Damaged tissue left on the cornea after trauma, disease or a surgical procedure has taken place.
CORNEAL SHAPE
The corneal shape is studied to determine whether aberrations
(abnormalities) exist that may create vision problems.
CORNEAL SURFACE
The corneal surface is covered by a thin layer of epithelium, the same type of tissue that covers all free body surfaces.
CORNEAL THICKNESS
The corneal thickness determines the risk for glaucoma and corneal edema and
is evaluated for all patients considering refractive LASIK surgery.
CORNEAL TISSUE
Corneal tissue, forming the clear covering of the eye, is one of the most sensitive tissues of the body because it is densely innervated with sensory nerve fibers.
CORRECTIVE LENSES
A corrective lens is a lens worn in front of the eye
primarily to treat myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia. It is
the collective term for glasses and contacts.
CUSTOM LASIK also CUSTOMIZED LASIK
Custom LASIK surgery, also known as Wavefront LASIK surgery, is an alternative to conventional LASIK procedures. It essentially takes LASIK a step further by adding the ability to correct
higher-order visual aberrations in the eye to achieve maximum visual acuity. Visual acuity is defined as the ability to identify small objects clearly at a distance.
Normal visual acuity is typically classified as 20/20, but Custom LASIK procedures can now improve visual acuity to levels as sharp as 20/8.
CUSTOMIZED
To make or alter to individual or personal specifications.
CYLINDER POWER
Cylinder power refers to the power of magnification found in a cylindrical optical lens. When an eye doctor measures an eye's refraction, he or she begins by finding the best spherical correction (correcting vision in all directions). Then, if there is astigmatism, the next step is to compensate for it by adding the right amount of cylindrical correction (further correcting in one single direction).
CORNEAL TOPOGRAPHY and CORNEAL TOPOGRAPHY MAP
This is a process of mapping the surface details of the cornea with a unique camera/computer combination to determine corneal slope and astigmatism for refractive correction. It can also be used post-operatively to measure the results of treatment by showing the efficiency of ablation and the smoothness of the final surface.
DECENTRATION
If you look through the periphery of your glasses lens, you might end up seeing partly through the lens
(and its correction) and partly through the edge of the lens (without
correction). This is decentration, which can cause various symptoms, including edge glare or even monocular double vision.
DEEP EXPERIENCE
When it comes to any type of surgery (certainly surgery on your eyes), you want to find a surgical team that has depth of experience so that they can truly navigate every turn of your personal visual case. Only the doctors at the Woolfson Eye Institute truly have the unprecedented depth you are looking for to give you the greatest confidence in the quality of your surgical experience and results.
DIAGNOSTIC
Diagnostic refers to the
process of identifying a particular disease or disease characteristic.
DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
A
diagnostic test is any kind of medical test performed to aid in the diagnosis or
detection of a disease. In addition to testing for a disease directly,
they may test for symptoms or complications, such as those that may mask
or alter the behavior of disease.
DIOPTER
This term is taken from the Greek "dioptra," which was an optical instrument for measuring angles. The diopter is the unit of measurement for optical lenses. A one-diopter lens will focus parallel light rays 1 meter from the lens, and a two-diopter lens will focus 0.5 meter from the lens. A plus ( + ) 1.0 diopter lens is convex and will converge the light rays so they focus as a visible image 1 meter past the lens. A minus ( - ) 1.0 diopter lens is concave and will diverge or spread light. If the diverging rays were followed back to their point of origin, they would focus 1 meter in front of the minus lens.
DIPLOPIA
Diplopia is seeing double, usually with both eyes open (binocular diplopia). It can also be with only one eye open (monocular diplopia).
DRY EYE
Dry eye is a condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the eye.
ELASTICITY
The reversible deformation of a body under stress. Here, it typically refers to the ability of the eye's lens to be bent and quickly return to its original shape to
provide clear focus for objects at varying distances.
ELLIPTICAL CARRIER
This is the material to which an implantable lens is attached.
ENDOTHELIAL CELL DENSITY
Corneal endothelial cells divide to reproduce themselves rarely, if at all, in the post-natal human cornea. So, wounding of the corneal endothelium tends to prompt healing by sliding and enlargement of adjacent endothelial cells. Endothelial cell loss, if sufficiently severe, can cause endothelial cell density to fall below the threshold level needed. This threshold endothelial cell density varies considerably amongst individuals, but it is typically in the range of 500 to 1,000 cells/mm². Typically, loss of endothelial cell density is accompanied by increases in cell size and shape variability.
EMMETROPIA
Emmetropia is from the Greek for “sight in proper measure” and describes perfect distance vision without glasses.
ENDOPHTHALMITIS
This term refers to an inflammation within the eye. This could be caused by organisms, such as bacteria, or have more sterile causes, such as immune disorders. This can describe an infectious disease that occasionally occurs as a complication of surgery.
ENHANCEMENT
These are follow-up laser treatments made to refine or improve the original visual result. Higher corrections and wider optical zones require deeper sculpting of the cornea and consequently may increase the rate of undercorrection and overcorrection. These enhancement treatments usually involve a small correction and have a highly accurate outcome.
EXCIMER LASER also COOL LASER
This is a device that produces laser energy from several rare gas-halide mixtures. In PRK, the term has become synonymous with the argon-fluoride gas version with a wavelength in the far ultraviolet range at 193 nanometers. The adjective "cool" is often associated with this type of laser because it vaporizes tissue so quickly.
EXTENDED PAYMENT PLANS
An additional allotment of time for payment is allowed under this plan.
EXTRA POWER PLUS
Extra power plus refers to the need to
increase an individual's standard vision with additional focal power, such as is
found in reading glasses.
EYE
The organs that detect light and convert it to electro-chemical impulses in neurons.
EYE TRACKING TECHNOLOGY
The most widely used current designs are video-based eye trackers. A camera focuses on one or both eyes and records their movement as the viewer looks at some kind of stimulus. Most modern eye trackers use contrast to locate the center of the pupil and infrared and near-infrared non-collimated light to create a corneal reflection. The vector between these two features can be used to compute gaze intersection with a surface after a simple calibration for an individual.
Two general types of eye tracking techniques are used: bright pupil and dark pupil. Their difference is based on the location of the illumination source with respect to the optics. Bright pupil tracking creates greater iris/pupil contrast, allowing for more robust eye tracking with all iris pigmentation and greatly reduces interference caused by eyelashes and other obscuring features.
EYEGLASS PRESCRIPTION also OPTICAL PRESCRIPTION
An eyeglass prescription is an order written by an eyewear prescriber, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, that specifies the value of all parameters the prescriber has deemed necessary to construct and/or dispense corrective lenses appropriate for a patient.
FDA APPROVAL
The FDA is the United States agency that tests, evaluates and approves drugs and medical devices. FDA approval is specific to a procedure. Non-approved applications are referred to as “off-label” use.
FDA CLINICAL INVESTIGATOR
This is a highly esteemed medical professional that the FDA turns to in helping collect and evaluate data relevant to a medical device or procedure being evaluated for FDA approval.
FDA TRIALS
These are steps in medical research that allow the FDA to validate safety and efficacy data for drugs, diagnostics, devices and therapy protocols. They can take place only after satisfactory information has been gathered on the quality of the non-clinical safety
evaluations and Health Authority/Ethics Committee approval is granted.
FINE DETAIL
When the visual system
is able to discern more precise or accurate images of particular items.
FLAREX®
This is the brand name for Fluoromethalone acetate 0.1 percent, which is a corticosteroid eye drop used to reduce corneal haze and regulate healing response after
surgery. It is manufactured by Alcon.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS (FSAs)
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA), also known as a Flexible Spending Arrangement, is one of a number of tax-advantaged financial accounts that can be set up through a cafeteria plan of an employer in the United States. An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of his or her earnings to pay for qualified expenses as established in the cafeteria plan, most commonly for medical expenses.
Money deducted from an employee's pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll
taxes, resulting in substantial payroll tax savings. One significant
disadvantage to using an FSA is that funds not used by the end of the plan year
are lost to the employee.
FML®
This is the brand name for Fluoromethalone 0.1 percent, which is a
corticosteroid eye drop used to reduce corneal haze and regulate healing
response after surgery. It is manufactured by Allergan.
FML FORTE®
This is the brand name for Fluoromethalone 0.25 percent, which is a
corticosteroid eye drop used to reduce corneal haze and regulate healing
response after surgery. It is manufactured by Allergan and is a stronger
version of FML.
FOCAL POINT
The point at which initially collimated rays of light meet after passing through a convex lens or reflecting from a concave mirror.
FORWARD ABERRATIONS
The measurement of forward light scatter is significant for the assessment of
the success of techniques such as refractive surgery and cataract extraction.
The scatter of light in the ocular media increases with age. Light that is
scattered within and between light sources imaged onto the retina causes
degradation of the retinal image contrast over a wide range of spatial
frequencies. The scattering effect for wide angles of forward-scattered light
has shown that the scattered light follows an inverse square distribution as a
function of scattering angle.
GLARE often NIGHT GLARE
Glare is difficulty seeing in the presence of bright light, such as direct or reflected sunlight, or artificial light, such as car headlamps at night. Glare is caused by a significant ratio of luminance between that which is being looked at and the glare source. Factors such as the angle between the task and the glare source and eye adaptation have significant impacts on the experience of glare. Discomfort glare results in an instinctive desire to look away from a bright light source or difficulty in seeing a task. Disability glare renders the task impossible to view, such as when driving westward at sunset. Disability glare is often caused by the inter-reflection of light within the eyeball, reducing the contrast between task and glare source to the point where the task cannot be distinguished. When glare is so intense that vision is completely impaired, it is sometimes called dazzle.
GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma is an eye disease related to the optic nerve and intraocular pressure (IOP). In most cases, IOP is elevated and causes damage to the optic nerve where it exits from the retina. In some cases, the IOP is normal, but damage still occurs to the optic nerve. This damage gradually reduces the visual field, starting around the periphery. Left untreated, it will cause blindness. The most common way of managing glaucoma is with eye drops to reduce IOP.
The nerve damage involves loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern. There are many sub-types of glaucoma, but they can all be considered a type of optic neuropathy. Raised IOP is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma (above 21 mmHg or 2.8 kPa). One person may develop nerve damage at a relatively low pressure, while another person may have high eye pressure for years and never develop damage. Untreated glaucoma leads to permanent damage of the optic nerve and resultant visual field loss, which can progress to blindness.
HALOS
This is the appearance of a ring of light around light sources. It occurs in dim lighting conditions and can interfere with night driving. It was a complication of traditional LASIK procedures that Custom LASIK is more able to prevent.
HEALTH AND VISION INSURANCE PLANS
Health and vision insurance plans typically pay for some portion of covered medical expenses. Insurance typically does not cover elective procedures but does cover those that are deemed medically necessary by your insurance carrier.
HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (HSAs)
A Health Savings
Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States who are enrolled in a high deductible health plan. The funds contributed to an account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. Unlike a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), funds roll over and accumulate year to year if not spent. HSAs are owned by the individual, which differentiates them from company-owned Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). HSA funds may currently be used to pay for qualified medical expenses at any time without federal tax liability or penalty. Withdrawals for non-medical expenses are treated very similarly to those in an Individual Retirement Account in that they may provide tax advantages if taken after retirement age and they incur penalties if taken earlier. These accounts are a component of
the consumer-driven health care initiative.
HIGHER-ORDER ABERRATIONS
These are microscopic irregularities in the eye’s contour that cause a variety of
problems, many related to night vision. They are not treatable with traditional
LASIK. However, the Wavefront technology used in Custom LASIK diagnoses them, and
they can be incorporated into the treatment plan.
HIGH REFRACTIVE CORRECTION
This refers to cases of patients with more than about 10.00 diopters of myopia (nearsighted) vision or more than around 3.00 diopters of hyperopia (farsighted) vision.
These patients are typically significantly less likely to achieve uncorrected vision after
most forms of LASIK that is equal to their corrected vision before surgery. To determine your refractive error,
you can read your optical prescription.
HYPEROPIA also FARSIGHTED
This is an abnormality of the eye requiring a plus (positive or convex) lens for correction. This is more casually referred to as being farsighted. Farsighted people can see at a distance more clearly than they can see close objects.
IMMUNE SYSTEM
This is the body's internal defense system, which defends you
against dangers such as infections, cancer, etc. Normal healing is performed
through the immune system, but at times, abnormal immune activity can cause
problems such as iritis or arthritis. These conditions are referred to as
autoimmune conditions because your immune system attacks your body.
IMPLANTATION
This is the process of surgically implanting an ICL or IOL lens into position at the front of the eye.
IMPROVED VISION
There are many ways that patients can find improved vision, so you will need to consult with your Woolfson Eye Institute doctor to decide which option will provide you the precise level of improvement and fit with your current age, health and lifestyle
that works best for you.
IMPLANTABLE CONTACT LENS (ICL) also PHAKIC IOL
Implantable contact lenses (ICLs), or phakic intraocular lenses, are
artificial lenses implanted in the eye to work with the natural crystalline lens to correct vision. Because an ICL can correct a wider range of myopia than laser refractive procedures, ICLs are sometimes turned to as an alternative to LASIK surgery. ICLs are often referred to as phakic IOLs. The term "phakic" refers to an eye with the natural lens still intact. Therefore, the main difference between an ICL and traditional IOLs is the fact that an ICL works in conjunction with the eye's crystalline lens and an IOL replaces it.
Typically, IOLs are used to treat cataracts and, in some cases, presbyopia. ICLs treat myopia, myopia with astigmatism and hyperopia (farsightedness).
INFLAMMATION
Taken from the Latin for “to set on fire,” inflammation is the tissue's reaction to trauma, often with pain, heat, redness, swelling or loss of function. Inflammation may be caused by trauma, infections, immune reactions or other causes.
INNER CORNEAL TISSUE
The inner corneal tissue is the layer underneath the flap of surface corneal tissue that is operated upon during the second step of LASIK
after the creation of the flap, where laser ablation occurs.
INTRAOCULAR LENS (IOL)
This is an artificial lens used to replace the eye’s natural lens in treatment for cataracts and presbyopia. There are many to choose from, and each use different technology.
IRIS
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye that is responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. Eye color is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue or brown. In some cases, it can be hazel (a combination of light brown, green and gold) or gray. In response to the amount of light entering the eye, muscles attached to the iris expand or contract the aperture
at its center, known as the pupil. The larger the pupil, the more light can enter.
IRS GUIDELINES
IRS guidelines
control how much of a LASIK procedure may be tax-deductible for the taxpayer.
For example, an FSA can typically be used to pay for LASIK with pre-tax dollars.
KERATO
This is a prefix that indicates a relationship to the cornea.
KERATITIS
This term refers to an inflammation of the cornea that may be caused by trauma, infections or immune disorders.
KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS
This is an inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva typically as a result of infection or autoimmune problems.
KERATOCONUS
This is an abnormality of the eye where the cornea becomes deformed into the shape of a cone. This condition is a contraindication to refractive surgery such as PRK or RK.
KERATOMILEUSIS
This is a refractive surgical technique where a partial thickness circular flap of cornea is removed, frozen, cut to a new shape, and then replaced. A lathe can shape the flap into either a convex or concave lens.
KERATECTOMY
This is the surgical removal of a portion of the cornea. In PK, a full thickness segment of the cornea is removed and replaced with a donor cornea.
KERATOTOMY
This is a surgical incision into the cornea as in radial keratotomy. It is characterized by radially aligned incisions in the cornea.
LARRY O'BRIEN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
The Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy is a trophy awarded to the National Basketball Association (NBA) team that wins the NBA Finals at the conclusion of every NBA season.
LASER
This is an acronym for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation. Laser light is different from ordinary light in that it is often engineered to be composed of one color or wavelength, travel in one direction, have each light wave travel in step with the adjacent wave, and be more powerful by a factor of millions of times over more natural light sources. Laser energy is carried by the wave in packets of energy called photons.
LASER BEAM
A laser beam is a powerful, narrow, monochromatic and directional beam of electromagnetic radiation.
LASER EYE SURGERY
For many
people, laser eye surgery can correct their vision so they no longer need glasses or contact lenses. Laser eye surgery reshapes the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. This changes its focusing power.
This is often treated as a synonym for LASIK, although there are other types of
laser surgery that can be performed on the eye at the Woolfson Eye Institute.
LASER PLATFORM
A laser platform is a highly complex, powerful and expensive combination of machines that can be used together under the control of an experienced surgeon to perform laser surgeries. There are several laser platforms on the market today with differing capabilities, and the Woolfson Eye Institute is able to offer its patients the leading combination of them. Unlike many competitors, Woolfson has made the investment in equipment and surgical training to provide access to the advantages of each of the leading multiple laser platforms.
LASER SUITE
Woolfson Eye Institute
maintains laser operating suites in each of its LASIK facilities where LASIK surgeries are performed.
LASER VISION CORRECTION
This term is generally used as a synonym for LASIK, defined below.
LASIK
This is an acronym for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis. In short, it refers to a surgical operation where a flap from the surface of the cornea is cut and rolled aside so that a laser beam can remove internal tissue from the stroma, or the body of the cornea. Following this removal of tissue, the flap is laid back into place. The amount and shape of the removed tissue is determined by the pre-operative refractive error to be corrected.
LASIK CONSULTATION
This is a
consultation appointment with your Woolfson doctor to review your general
health, vision, visual needs, lifestyle requirements, eye health and medical history.
It is where your treatment begins to be customized.
LENS
A lens is a curved, transparent structure that refracts light. In the eye, the natural lens is behind the iris and is able to change its curvature depending on how distant an object is under control of the circular ciliary muscle around it. This adjustment of the lens is known as accommodation.
WOOLFSON EYE INSTITUTE'S LIFETIME ASSURANCE PROGRAM
Woolfson Eye Institute’s Lifetime Assurance Program is an exceptional vision care policy offering LASIK re-treatments, known as enhancements, to patients throughout their lifetime. While most patients have a single successful treatment, a small percentage of patients may require a slight fine-tuning of their result. Patients who are eligible for the program receive enhancements with similar technology free of charge.
LIGHT SENSITIVITY also PHOTO-SENSITIVITY
also PHOTOPHOBIA
Photophobia is a symptom of excessive sensitivity to light and the aversion to sunlight or well-lit places. In ordinary medical terms, photophobia is not a morbid fear or phobia but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure.
LIMBUS
This is the visible border between the cornea and the white globe or sclera of the eye.
LOCAL ANESTHESIA
Local anesthetics provide a reversible regional loss of sensation. Local anesthetics reduce pain, thereby facilitating surgical procedures.
LOWER-ORDER ABERRATIONS also SECOND-ORDER ABERRATIONS
Lower-order aberrations
pertain to conventional spherical and cylindrical refractive error, which are the types of optical aberrations that are generally fully correctable with corrective lenses. The phrase is used to distinguish these refractive errors from higher-order aberrations, which are optical imperfections that are not correctable with spherocylindrical lenses.
MASKS
Masks are used in PRK surgery to modify the removal of surface tissue by the laser. Excimer lasers employ different kinds of masks to customize, refine and smooth the corneal surface. Variable rotation of the masks is used to deal with astigmatism.
MEDICAL CONDITION
A medical condition is a broad term that includes all diseases and disorders but can also include injuries and normal health situations, such as pregnancy, that might affect a person's health, benefit from medical assistance, or have implications for medical treatments.
MEDICAL HISTORY
The medical history, or anamnesis, of a patient is information gained by a physician by asking specific questions with the aim of obtaining information useful in formulating a diagnosis and providing medical care to the patient. The medically relevant complaints reported by the patient
are referred to as symptoms, in contrast with clinical sign that are ascertained by direct examination on the part of
the medical personnel.
MICROMETER
This is a unit of distance measure that stands for 10-6 meters. It has replaced the term micron.
MICROKERATOME
A microkeratome is a precision surgical instrument with an oscillating blade designed for creating the corneal flap in LASIK or ALK surgery. The normal human cornea varies from around 500 to 600 micrometers in thickness; in the LASIK procedure, the microkeratome creates a 83- to 200-micrometre-thick flap. This piece of equipment is used worldwide to cut the cornea flap.
MICROSCOPIC STITCHES
Stitches that are invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope. These stitches are used in closing a LASIK procedure.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE
A
minimally invasive procedure is less invasive than an open surgical procedure used for the same purpose. A minimally invasive procedure typically involves
lasers, laparoscopic devices and/or remote-control manipulation of instruments with indirect observation of the surgical field through an endoscope or similar device. These procedures are carried out through the skin or through a body cavity or anatomical opening.
MONOVISION
Monovision is a technique
to reduce the need for reading glasses or bifocals that works around presbyopia by
adjusting one eye for distance vision and the other for near vision. Monovision can be accomplished with LASIK or contact lenses.
MONTHLY PAYMENTS
A payment made every month toward an accrued debt.
MYOPIA also NEARSIGHTEDNESS
This is a refractive abnormality requiring a negative or concave lens for correction. It is more colloquially referred to as being nearsighted. People who are myopic can see objects up close without glasses.
NASA
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, approved the use of LASIK for astronauts in 2007.
NANOMETER
This is a unit of distance representing 10-9 meters. This term replaced the term millimicron.
NATURAL LENS
The eye's natural biological means of controlling sight.
NEAR-INFRARED
A visual wavelength range of (0.7-1) to 5 microns.
NIGHT VISION
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range.
NON-LASER VISION CORRECTION
Using a lens implant to correct for vision problems is a non-laser treatment that implants a lens very much like a contact lens in the eye. The lens is placed behind the cornea and in front of the iris or behind the iris to correct for moderate to high amounts of nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism.
NSAID
This is an abbreviation for any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
OD/OS
OD stands for oculus dexter and indicates the right eye, and OS stands for oculus sinister and indicates the left eye.
OPHTHALMIC
From the Greek for “eye,” this term now refers to practically anything having to do with the eye.
OPHTHALMOLOGIST
This is a medical doctor who specializes in the eye. To become an ophthalmologist, one must first obtain a medical degree and then complete further specialty training. A medical degree typically takes seven or eight years of university training and a specialist certification, which takes an extra three years in the United States or four years in Canada. Specialist M.D.s are divided into medical and surgical disciplines. Ophthalmology is technically a surgical discipline. Ophthalmologists choosing not to perform surgery are called medical ophthalmologists.
OPTIC
Of or relating to the eye or
vision. It also refers to a lens or other optical component in an optical instrument.
OUTPATIENT
A patient who receives medical treatment without being admitted to a hospital.
OPTICAL ABLATION ZONE
This is the corneal area of the optical zone (the path through the eye that light passes to allow vision) that is treated in laser vision correction.
OPTICAL RAY TRACING
Ray tracing may be used in the design of lenses and optical systems. Geometric ray tracing is used to describe the propagation of light rays through a lens system or optical instrument, allowing the image-forming properties of the system to be modeled.
OPTICAL PATHWAY
For a ray of light traveling along a path between two points, the optical path is the integral, over elements of length along the path, of the refractive index. Also known as optical distance; optical length.
OPTICALLY PERFECT EYE
If the optical distance is the same for all points in the pupil, then the map is flat and the eye is optically perfect.
OPTICIAN
Opticians are experts in the art and science of making and fitting glasses.
OPTOMETRIST
A doctor of optometry, an optometrist is an independent primary health care provider who specializes in the examination, diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye and associated structures. Optometrists today most often complete a Bachelor of Science degree with very specific requirements followed by a four-year optometry degree program.
OVERCORRECTION
This is a complication where the correction is more than desired. Overcorrection occurs in the occasional person where healing occurs less vigorously than predicted and the planned treatment overcorrection persists. Overcorrection can also occur in the uncommon event that the laser is improperly calibrated.
PACHYMETRY
This measures the thickness of the cornea with an ultrasound machine. The purpose of measuring is to determine the thickness of the cornea prior to PRK or LASIK treatment to not exceed the maximum treatment depth. In RK, the radial cuts are usually set at 90 percent of the depth (thickness). PRK and LASIK treatment depths are dependent upon the ablation diameter.
PARALLEL RAYS
Two rays lying on the same line or on parallel lines.
PENTACAM
The Pentacam images the anterior segment of the eye by a rotating Scheimpflug camera performing a series of slit photographs. This rotating process generates pictures in three dimensions. Because of the rotational imaging, even the center of the cornea can be very precisely measured.
PHOROPTER
This is the optical instrument containing many lenses that is used to determine the power of glasses or refractive error for correction.
PHOTOABLATION
This term refers to the "cold" process of tissue removal, which occurs with laser radiation in the 200 nm wavelength range. This far-UV wavelength possesses photons so powerful that the molecular bonds of the target tissue break down and have sufficient kinetic energy to fly off the surface. Microscopic pictures show incredibly precise cuts with no evidence of adjacent tissue burning.
PHOTOCOAGULATION
This is the process of tissue destruction accomplished by visible light radiation. The light breaks down tissue, and then it coagulates.
PHOTO-THERAPEUTIC KERATECTOMY (PTK)
This is the "cold" laser removal of surface tissue of the cornea, such as scar tissue, for medical or optical reasons.
PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY (PRK)
This is an alternative treatment to LASIK that is sometimes recommended for those whose corneas are too thin or steep for LASIK. In PRK, there is no corneal flap. Instead, corneal epithelial tissue is removed. A bandage contact lens is worn for protection during recovery, and the cornea heals by itself. More procedurally, PRK laser surgery is the sculpting of a myopic or hyperopic lens for refractive reasons on the front surface of the eye with the use of a "cold" laser light.
PHOTOVAPORIZATION
This is the process of tissue destruction as occurs with infrared light radiation, such as with a YAG laser. The target tissue is ionized, causing plasma formation followed by a shock wave.
PINGUECULA
This is a yellowish spot seen on the white of the eye at the junction of the clear cornea and white sclera of the eye. These lesions are usually caused by UV radiation. The white surface of the eye cannot protect itself from sunburn.
POST-PROCEDURE INSTRUCTIONS
After your procedure, you will be encouraged to go home or to your hotel and take a nap. You will wear sunglasses home. Avoid reading and watching TV. If you rest for one to two hours at home after your LASIK laser vision correction procedure, you will notice an immediate change in your vision.
Following surgery, you will be asked to wear a shield over your eyes at bedtime for the first night so you don't inadvertently rub your eyes while sleeping. You will be asked to use prescription eye drops and artificial tears for several days and will be encouraged to avoid rubbing your eyes. Women are instructed not to wear mascara for two days (ideally one week). LASIK patients should avoid water sports for two weeks following the procedure to permit healing. You will be asked to return for a check-up by your doctor the day after surgery. At that visit, your doctor will check your vision and monitor how your eyes are healing. You will use medicated eye drops for one week after your treatment, and artificial tears are recommended for up to one month. You should not swim for at least three days (ideally two weeks) and should refrain from knuckle-rubbing your eye(s) for two weeks. As always, avoid getting soap or water directly into your eyes. Obviously, after laser vision correction you will be on an antibiotic and soothing drops for one week. Showering with water in the face
but not the eyes and shampooing hair with eyes closed is fine.
POST-PROCEDURE KIT
Your Post-Procedure Kit includes eye drops, medication to help you sleep, goggles for showering, sunglasses and written instructions.
PROTECTIVE CONTACT LENSES
During the procedure, a device called a microkeratome cuts a thin flap in the surface of the cornea. The flap is then lifted, and an excimer laser beam reshapes the cornea's curvature (steepened for farsighted patients and flattened for nearsighted patients) to improve vision. The flap is then closed and covered with a protective contact lens.
PRECISION
The state or quality of being precise; exactness.
PRECISION TELESCOPE
A precision telescope is ideal for optical bench, alignment, measuring and other industrial observation applications. The instrument focusing eyepiece has full diopter scale for reference and extra-long eye relief for eyeglass wearers.
PRESBYOPIA
Also referred to as "old eye," this is a condition in which the eye’s ability to accommodate for near vision diminishes because of a loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens and weakness of the ciliary muscle. The individual is no longer able to read clearly and requires reading glasses.
PROTECTIVE FLAP also CORNEAL FLAP
The tissue that is peeled back from the cornea during a LASIK procedure is referred to as a protective or corneal flap.
PROTECTIVE EYE SHIELDS
To prevent accidentally rubbing or poking your eyes while sleeping, wear a protective shield over your eyes for the first three nights after your LASIK procedure.
PROTECTIVE SUNGLASSES
To help your cornea heal and protect your eyes from exposure to bright light that may irritate your eyes, wear dark sunglasses during
the day after your LASIK surgery.
PTYGERIA
This is the growth of scar tissue on the cornea. These lesions, like pinguecula, are caused by an ultraviolet burn to the surface layer or epithelium.
PUPIL
The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye.
PUPILLOMETRY
Measurement of the pupil of the eye.
QUALITY
In a LASIK surgery, quality (improvement) outweighs risk by a large margin.
Coupled with the expertise of Woolfson surgeons and the range of advanced
technology options Woolfson has available, your eyes are in the best hands to
receive the highest-quality outcomes.
RADIAL KERATOTOMY (RK)
This is a surgical operation where 90 percent thickness cuts are made in the cornea in a radial fashion but sparing the visual center of the cornea. This flattens the central cornea.
RANGE OF VISION
Range of vision
refers to breadth of clear vision along the periphery and at varying distances. The absolute range for correction of nearsightedness, astigmatism and farsightedness goes from about -14.00 to +6.00.
These corrections increase range of vision.
RAY TRACING ABERROMETRY
Ray tracing aberrometry dynamically measures and analyzes wavefront aberrometry, or the focusing power of the human eye
at various points.
REFRACTION
This is the bending of light rays by two eye structures: the cornea and the lens. In a 20/20 eye, they refract incoming light the right amount for a clear focus on the retina.
REFRACTIVE ERROR
A refractive error, or refraction error, is an error in the focusing of light by the eye and a frequent reason for reduced visual acuity.
REFRACTIVE LASER SURGERY
Refractive eye surgery is any eye surgery used to improve the refractive state
of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses.
This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea or
cataract surgery. The most common methods today use excimer lasers to reshape
curvature of the cornea. Successful refractive eye surgery can reduce or cure
common vision disorders such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.
REGRESSION
This is a return to the original refractive state. A small percentage of patients will heal faster and more vigorously than expected and will thus regress or "heal" their planned overcorrection. This regression phenomenon can occur with both myopic and hyperopic corrections. Steroid medications can usually be used to regulate and control regression.
RETINA
This is the light-sensitive nerve layer that converts light images into electrical signals for transmission to the brain. The retina can be compared to the film of a camera.
SAFETY
The excimer laser was
specifically FDA approved for LASIK in 1998. It is estimated that some 16 million patients worldwide have had LASIK. LASIK is generally considered one of the most successful and safe surgical procedures of any type. In skilled hands, nearsighted patients can expect to achieve 20/40 vision more than 98 percent of the time and uncorrected vision of 20/20 or 20/25 in more than 90 percent of cases. Its safety record is equally impressive with the loss of best-corrected vision to worse than 20/40 being quite rare after LASIK, occurring in about only three per 1,000 cases. Serious complications, such as infection or corneal damage, occur even more infrequently.
SCHEIMPFLUG CAMERA
Scheimpflug imaging differs from conventional techniques in that the object plane, lens plane and image plane are not parallel to each other but intersect in a common straight line. This type of imaging allows assessment of anterior and posterior corneal topography, anterior chamber depth and anterior and posterior topography of the lens.
SMART ENERGY CONTROL
The amount of energy in the laser has been calibrated to an exact level. After the beam has been created, it passes through three checkpoints on its way to your eye. At each of these points, the energy level is checked and adjusted, if necessary, ensuring that the beam is perfectly attuned at its destination.
SNELLEN CHART
This is the standard vision chart used to determine your visual acuity. It has a large letter at the top and rows of increasingly smaller letters beneath. It was named for Herbert Snellen, the Dutch ophthalmologist who first devised it in 1862. Originally, it was in the form of a chart on the wall but now is digital inside the phoropter in every eye doctor’s office.
SPHERE POWER
There are two powers on a lens prescription for astigmatism: a sphere power and a cylinder power. The sphere power corrects myopia or hyperopia, and the cylinder power corrects astigmatism.
STATE-OF-THE-ART SURGERY CENTERS
Woolfson maintains state-of-the-art laser surgery centers in each of its regional offices as well as a complete Ambulatory Surgery Center in Atlanta.
STEROID
This term represents a large class of pharmaceutical agents that chemically resemble cholesterol. Glucocorticoid steroids are used to reduce inflammation and in PRK to regulate regression and reduce post-PRK inflammatory haze.
TAX RATE
A portion of the costs of medical procedures can often be tax-deductible or paid
for with pre-tax dollars, such as those in a patient's FSA. In this way, the
cost of the procedure may be reduced by as much as the patient's tax rate.
THIN CORNEAS
If the cornea is
naturally thin or is subject to disease such as keratoconus, a thorough
examination by a Woolfson doctor must be done to determine the health of the
cornea before surgeries take place.
THIN BEAM PRINCIPLE
Some ray-tracing refractometers use the fundamental thin beam principle of optical ray tracing to measure the refractive power of the eye on a point-by-point basis. The simplicity of measuring one point
at the entrance to the pupil at a time, objectively, is very powerful here.
TRADITIONAL LASIK also CONVENTIONAL LASIK
This LASIK does not use the Custom LASIK or Wavefront technology
and does not treat higher-order aberrations.
TREATMENT PLAN
A treatment plan determines the best solution for your eyes and
your lifestyle. At Woolfson, these can be completely customized to each
patient.
UNCORRECTED VISUAL ACUITY (UCVA)
This is the best vision measurement taken without the use of glasses or contact lenses.
UNDERCORRECTION
This is a complication where the expected amount of correction is less than desired.
U.S. MILITARY
The U.S. military began conducting studies of LASIK eye surgery in enlisted personnel in 1993. Its objective was to determine whether laser vision correction could effectively enhance the performance of our military personnel on the battlefield. The findings from these studies were nothing short of amazing. Thus, in 2000, the U. S. Department of Defense adopted laser vision correction for all branches of the military, and to date, 312,000 military personnel have undergone the procedure with an extraordinarily high rate of patient satisfaction.
VARIABLE SPOT BEAM
The
variable spot beam technology advancement allows the beam to range in size and shape so that the delivered energy is more custom to the patient's cornea.
VARIABLE SPOT SCANNING
Variable spot scanning provides variable size and shape scanning capabilities. This gives the device a wide range of indications, offering more flexibility in personalizing LASIK treatments for myopic, astigmatic and hyperopic patients.
VERISYSE
Verisyse is a "helper" artificial lens implanted inside the eye immediately below the cornea and attached directly to the top of the iris to reduce refractive error. It is used as an alternative to traditional or Wavefront LASIK, All-Laser LASIK, PRK, LASEK, and Epi-LASIK for patients with very high myopic (nearsighted) vision.
VISIAN ICL
Visian is a "helper" artificial lens implanted behind the iris and immediately in front of the natural lens of the eye to reduce refractive error. It is used as an alternative to traditional or Wavefront LASIK, All-Laser LASIK, PRK, LASEK, and Epi-LASIK for patients with very high myopic (nearsighted) vision.
VISION PROBLEMS
These include
refractive errors, such as higher-order and lower-order aberrations.
VISUAL ACUITY
Visual acuity is the ability to see symbols and objects clearly from a distance. Typically it
is tested with the Snellen Chart, with rows of letters becoming smaller toward the bottom of the chart. Each of these lines is assigned a different lower number ranging from 20/10 to 20/200.
VISUAL QUALITY also VISION QUALITY
Patients needing Custom LASIK often have more difficulty seeing detail in dim light (loss of contrast sensitivity) and experience an increase in visual distortion at night (multiple images, halos and starbursts).
These reduce overall vision quality.
VISUAL SYSTEM also OPTICAL SYSTEM
An optical system consists of a succession of elements, which may include lenses; mirrors; light sources; detectors; projection screens; reflecting prisms; dispersing devices; filters and thin films; and fibre-optics bundles.
VISX
This is the manufacturer of argon fluoride excimer laser machines VISX 2015, VISX 2020 and VISX STAR.
VISX CUSTOMVUE
VISX has worked to target and optimize four essential steps to maximize the effectiveness of Wavefront-driven treatments: Acquire comprehensive, reliable Wavefront data; design the optimal ablation shape for each individual eye; align and orient this optimal shape to the patient’s cornea;
and deliver the intended shape, utilizing precise and efficient
laser technology.
VISX WAVESCAN
The WaveScan Wavefront system is an ophthalmic diagnostic instrument that measures the refractive error and Wavefront aberrations of the human eye using a Hartmann-Shack Wavefront sensor. The measurements can be used to determine regular (sphero-cylindrical) refractive errors and irregularities (aberrations) that cause decreased or blurry vision in the human eye. The WaveScan software uses the information to create a custom, tailored correction map for the unique characteristics of each individual eye.
VISX STAR S4 LASER PLATFORM
The STAR S4 excimer laser system represents the most advanced laser technology platform available today. Integrating data collected by the WaveScan Wavefront system, the STAR S4 utilizes these exclusive VISX technologies to deliver precision custom ablations.
VITREOUS HUMOR
This is the jelly-like material that fills the space between the lens and retina within the eye.
WAVELENGTH
This is the distance between the top of one wave and the top of the next wave.
WAVEFRONT ABERROMETRY
Wavefront aberrometry measurements are used diagnostically to determine causes of visual disturbances and are also used to program ablations in Wavefront-guided procedures.
There are three general types of Wavefront aberrometry: the Hartmann-Shack principle, the Tscherning principle and ray tracing.
WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY AND MAPPING
This is the technology used in the eye’s diagnosis before Custom LASIK. Wavefront technology maps each eye’s higher-order visual aberrations as well as the three lower-order aberrations of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. This allows Custom LASIK to correct the higher-order aberrations where traditional LASIK does not.
WAVEFRONT ANALYZER
Wavefront analyzers are used to map aberrations in the eye. Several types of visual imperfections, referred to as lower- and higher-order aberrations, exist within the eye and can affect both visual acuity and the quality of vision.
WOOLFSON LASIK
Dr. Woolfson, one of the most experienced LASIK surgeons in the country,
and his team at the Woofson Eye Institute are the “Eye Doctors' Doctors” when it comes to eye surgery. Hundreds of eye doctors have chosen
Woolfson Eye Institute for their own laser vision correction. Woolfson customizes each patient's
procedure, utilizing various lasers, instruments and techniques to optimize results.
Most patients treated by the Woolfson Eye Institute qualify for its unique
Lifetime Assurance Program, which assures them that Woolfson Eye Institute will be there in the future
should they need follow-up treatment.
YAG LASER
This is a laser type using an infrared wavelength of 1,064 nanometers. The laser material is neodymium Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet. YAG lasers are used after cataract surgery to photovaporize the residual membrane behind the artificial lens. (The common misconception that lasers are used to remove cataracts occurs because approximately 75 percent of post-cataract patients eventually require YAG laser capsulotomy.)
FREE LASIK consultation!
<