Glossary

Ablation
Precise surgical removal of a tissue, often with a laser.

Anophthalmia
Absence of the eyeball and the ocular tissue within the orbit.

Anterior chamber
Fluid that fills the space between the iris and the innermost surface of the cornea, the endothelium.

Aqueous humour
Thin, watery, transparent fluid that fills the space between the cornea and the iris (anterior chamber).

Amblyopia
Non-correctable loss of vision in an eye that appears normal. It is commonly known as “lazy eye” and can occur for different reasons.

Blepharoplasty
Also known as eyelid lift surgery. Removal of the excess skin and tissue of the upper and lower eyelids.

Choroid
The layer of blood vessels that nourish the back of the eye.

Ciliary body
It is located immediately behind the iris and produces aqueous humour.

Conjunctiva
Fine and clear tissue that covers the external surface of the eye.

Cornea
Transparent, dome-shaped window covering the front and centre of the eye.

Corneal graft
Removal of a damaged cornea and replacement thereof using donated tissue to recover vision.

Coronal brow lift
Lifting of the eyebrow using an incision directly on the hairline.

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR)
The surgical creation of a passage between the lacrimal sac and the nasal cavity to permit the drainage of tears.

Diabetic retinopathy
Effect of diabetes on the eye.

Direct brow lift
Lifting of the eyebrows by removing the excess skin located immediately above the eyes.

Ectropion repair
Surgical repairing of an eyelid turned inwards.

Enucleation
Surgical removal of the eye.

Esotropia
When an eye is turned inward (toward the nose).

Exotropia
When an eye is turned outward (toward the ears).

Extraocular
Outside of the eye.

Extraocular muscles
The six small muscles that surround the eye and work together to control the movements of the eye.

Evisceration
{0> Extracción del contenido del ojo (iris, lente, humor vítreo, retina y coroides), dejando una bolsa de esclerótica <}98{> Removal or emptying of the contents of the eye (iris, lens, vitreous, retina and choroid), leaving a bag of sclerotic.

Eyelids
They protect eyes from environmental aggressions, injury and light. In addition, they keep the corneal surface soft by spreading tears around the eye.

Fovea
The centremost part of the macula region. It is a tiny area responsible for central vision, which is the sharpest.

Graves’ disease
Disorder that causes hyperthyroidism, swelling and congestion of the eye muscles, which makes the eye bulge and appear larger than usual.

Hyperopia
Difficulty to see up close. It occurs when the light entering the eye converges at a point behind the retina instead of directly on it.

Intraocular
Inside the eye.

Involutional
The gradual and progressive decreased function of organs and tissues as a result of the natural ageing process.

Iris
The coloured part of the eye that controls the levels of light inside the eye.

Keratoplasty
Plastic surgery of the cornea; corneal graft.

Lacrimal sacs
The medical term to refer to the sac that receives tears.

Lens
The lens, usually light-coloured, is located behind the iris and in front of the vitreous humour. Focuses light rays toward the back of the eye.

Macula
It is situated in the centre of the retina. It is a small, very sensitive part of the retina that is responsible for detailed central vision.

Myopia
Difficulty to see far. It occurs when distant objects appear blurred because their images are projected on the front of the retina instead of on the retina.

Nasolacrimal duct
The final duct of the tear drainage canal. It begins in the lacrimal sac and carries tears to the nasal cavity.

Neovascularisation
Abnormal proliferation of new blood vessels in the eye.

Ocular
Related to the eye.

Optic nerve
Transmits electrical impulses from the retina to the brain. It is connected to the back of the eye, near the macula.

Phacoemulsification
The procedure commonly known as “phaco” breaks a lens with cataracts by applying ultrasonic vibrations and the lens is then replaced by a biologically compatible intraocular lens implant.

Posterior chamber
Small cavity located behind the iris and in front of the suspensory ligament of the lens and the ciliary processes.

Ptosis
An abnormally low position (dropping) of the upper eyelid.

Pupil
Opening in the centre of the iris. The size of the pupil determines the amount of light that enters the eye.

Retina
Tissue layer that covers the inside of the posterior part of the eye. The retina has millions of photoreceptor cells that turn light into images.

Sclerotic
Usually known as the “white of the eyes”, it is the hard, opaque tissue that acts as a protective outer coating.

Strabismus surgery
Surgical realignment of misaligned extraocular muscles.

Tear film
Tears are formed by an innermost mucous layer, a middle aqueous layer and an outermost lipid layer.

Tear production system
It has three layers: oil, water and mucous produced by the meibomian glands, the lacrimal gland and the conjunctival goblet cells.

Trabecular meshwork
Angular structure responsible for draining the aqueous humour from the eye.

Vitreous humour
The transparent, gelatinous mass that fills the central space of the eye.

Zonules
Fibrous processes that extend from the ciliary body to the capsule of the ocular lens. They are responsible for keeping the ocular lens in its normal position.