The word-stem "kerato-" refers to the cornea of the eye. It is useful to recognise this word-part as used to refer to procedures concerning the cornea of the eye.
An epikeratophakia is a surgical procedure to correct errors in the refraction of light within the eye. This procedure involves alteration of the curvature of the person's cornea using corneal tissue from a donor that has first been frozen and re-shaped until ideal for attachment to the person's own cornea.
Use of this technique is generally limited due, in part, to the limited supply of human donor lenticule. Use of commercial corneal lenticule may be a possible alternative in some cases. Patients can obtain more information about this procedure from their ophthalmologist (ophthalmic surgeon).
More about Ophthalmology:
This section includes short definitions
of many diseases, disorders, and conditions of the eyes and visual system.
For definitions of other terms in this category, choose from the list to the left (but note that this is not a complete/exhaustive list).
Other related pages include
- A diagram of the eye
- Definitions and descriptions of the parts of the eye
- A concise description of the human retina
- Definitions of parts of the retina
- Diseases and disorders of the human eye and the human visual system
For further information see also our pages of books about ophthalmology.