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Glossary and Terminology for Lasik Surgery

     Confused about all the terminology regarding LASIK surgery, laser eye surgery, laser vision correction, etc...  Well you aren't alone.  It can be very confusing.  So here is a glossary of what the words mean, to help you sort it all out.  Still confused?  Then call us or come in for a free evaluation and we can explain it in simple English for you.

Glossary: 

• Advanced surface ablation is a synonym for PRK with all the modern advances including smoother ablations, better protective contact lenses, and better post operative medicines.

• Crystalens is an accommodating implant lens (similar to a bifocal implant lens) used with Refractive Lens Exchange or Cataract surgery to restore vision both for distance and intermediate. This is an option we offer patients at Stahl Vision here in Dayton Ohio who are not candidates for LASIK surgery because they either have early/baby cataracts or desire to see far away and at intermediate.

• CustomCornea is the trademarked name for Alcon's variety of wavefront custom laser eye surgery.

• Custom LASIK (CustomCornea and CustomVision™) uses wavefront guided LASIK to correct for high order aberrations as well as more conventional distortions in your vision like nearsightedness and astigmatism.

• CustomVision™ is a refinement of laser eye surgery offered by Dr. Brian Stahl at Stahl Vision in Dayton Ohio.  CustomVision uses wavefront mapping of the entire eye's optical system to allow correction of the usual nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism as well as other distortions and aberrations that even glasses and contacts can not.  The result is similar to the difference in regular and high definition TV, we are now striving for high definition vision.  CustomVision can be used with both lasik surgery and PRK surgery.  At Stahl Vision we use an Alcon LadarVision laser and custom tailored nomograms to achieve superior results.  (See CustomVision™  or advanced nomograms for more information...)

• CustomVue is the trademarked name for VISX's variety of wavefront custom laser eye surgery.

• epi-LASEK is closely related to PRK, more so than LASIK contrary to how similar the terms  sound.  With epi-LASEK, the surface cells are removed as a sheet, and the laser surgery treatment is done on the surface, very similar to PRK.  Afterwards the surface cells are slid back into place, and a contact lens is used to protect them for 5-7 days while they heal.  It was originally hoped that epi-LASEK would allow faster recover and less irritation than PRK, but most doctors have found that modern PRK has a similar or better healing rate than epi-LASEK, but with fewer steps.

• High order aberrations are distortions in your vision that are NOT corrected with glasses and contacts.  Each eye has imperfections much like a fingerprint, that can be mapped and using Custom LASIK treatments, corrected.

• High definition vision is achieved by completely correcting both conventional distortions in your vision like nearsightedness and astigmatism, as well as correcting higher order aberrations.  This is done with Custom LASIK treatments like CustomCornea LASIK and CustomVision™ LASIK.

• LadarVision is the name for Alcon's advanced tracking laser used in lasik surgery.  Our Ohio LASIK Surgery Center at Stahl Vision use's the Alcon LadarVision 4000 laser for our laser eye surgeries--LASIK surgery and PRK.

• Laser vision correction and laser eye surgery are synonyms,  LASIK eye surgery, PRK, and epi-LASEK are specific, but different subtypes of laser eye surgery. 

• LASIK or Lasik eye surgery or Lasik surgery is a type of laser eye surgery where a flap is created first, and a laser treatment is applied under the flap.  The flap is then returned into its original position and allowed to seal.  LASIK has a fairly quick recovery time, because all the surface cells are saved.

• Lasik eye surgery is another way to refer to LASIK.

• Microkeratome is the instrument used in lasik surgery to create the flap.  The laser then remodels under the lasik surgery flap, and afterwards the flap is replaced.

• PRK or photorefractive keratectomy is a type of laser eye surgery where the surface cells are first removed and the laser treatment is applied to the surface of they eye.  A contact lens then protects the surface for 3-4 days as the surface cells heal back.  PRK has a slower recovery than LASIK, and is a little sore or scratchy in the recovery phase.  But PRK may be the preferred method of laser eye surgery over lasik surgery for patients with thinner corneas, or very high prescriptions.

• Phakic IOLs include the Verisyse (formerly the Artisan lens), and the Visian (formerly the implantable contact lens or ICL).  These lenses are used inside the eye to correct large amounts of nearsightedness.  This is an option we offer patients at Stahl Vision here in Dayton Ohio that are too nearsighted for LASIK surgery.

• Refractive Lens Exchange  synonym with clear lensectomy.  This is the same surgery as cataract surgery, but is done primarily to restore distance and near vision without lenses.  See also Restor, Rezoom, and Crystalens.  This is an option we offer patients at Stahl Vision here in Dayton Ohio who are not candidates for LASIK surgery because they either have early/baby cataracts or desire to see up-close and far away.

• ReSTOR Lens is a bifocal implant lens used with Refractive Lens Exchange or Cataract surgery to restore vision both for distance and near.  This is an option we offer patients at Stahl Vision here in Dayton Ohio who are not candidates for LASIK surgery because they either have early/baby cataracts or desire to see up-close and far away.

• Rezoom Lens is a bifocal implant lens used with Refractive Lens Exchange or Cataract surgery to restore vision both for distance and near. This is an option we offer patients at Stahl Vision here in Dayton Ohio who are not candidates for LASIK surgery because they either have early/baby cataracts or desire to see up-close and far away.

• Wavefront guided LASIK is used in Custom LASIK treatments like CustomCornea LASIK and CustomVision™ LASIK to achieve high definition vision.

• Wavefront maps are a more precise way to measure your vision system.  Wavefront technology is over 25 times as precise as more conventional methods use to measure glasses and contacts.

       Here at Stahl Vision Lasik Surgery Center in Dayton Ohio it is important to us that we address all your concerns and questions with the LASIK surgeons and staff.  We would be glad to take the time to explain any information that you may be uncertain about. As you prepare to schedule your LASIK surgery consultation, take a moment to think about the specific questions you might still have, as well as things in your everyday life that you would enjoy more if you weren’t dependent on glasses or contact lenses. Share these concerns with our Stahl Vision staff so that together we can help you feel comfortable about starting your life without glasses and contacts.

  Stahl Vision- building better vision, one patient at a time...