Glossary I-L, from indication to laserphako

indication
medical grounds for taking therapeutic measures based on an expert assessment of all the aspects of the problem that are essential for the treatment. No operation without indication!

IVOM
„intravitreous operative medication“ for the administration of vessel-sealing substances to treat swelling of the central retina (macular edema).

keratitis
inflammation of the cornea, mostly infectious due to viruses (especially herpes), bacteria, fungi or amoebae (especially in wearers of soft contact lenses). A treatment is always required.
 
keratoconus
conical, mostly asymmetrical corneal deformation due to a congenital weakness of the corneal tissue; in light cases, in can be optically corrected by glasses or contact lenses, in severe cases, a corneal transplantation (keratoplasty) is necessary.
 
keratoplasty (corneal transplantation)
operation, by which the recipient's damaged or malfunctioning cornea is replaced by the healthy cornea of a donor; there is a very prolonged healing process (often more than one year) and – depending on the fundamental disease of the recipient's eye – the risk of rejection; therefore, it is not to be regarded as a routine operation.

laser coagulation
selective scar formation in the retina with the laser beam to treat severe circulatory disorders of the retina (e.g. in case of a diabetic retinopathy) or a retinal break; used also for the treatment of glaucoma.

laserphako
phakoemulsification (lenticular liquefaction) by means of a femtosecond- laser; a new, potentially gentler and safer and certainly more costly surgical technique