Phakic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A method of eye surgery that places a lens within the eye while preserving the existing lens structure
2. Describing an eye condition where the natural lens remains present without removal or replacement
3. Pertaining to eyes that have not undergone lens extraction and retain their original crystalline lens

Etymology: "Phakic" is a straightforward medical coinage: it is built from "phakia," the term for the natural state of an eye that still has its own crystalline lens, plus the adjectival suffix "-ic." The base word "phakia" is itself formed from the Greek "phakos," meaning "lentil," a reference to the lens's resemblance to that seed in shape. The distinction the word marks matters in eye surgery. A "phakic" eye keeps its original lens, which is why it is relevant when doctors choose between procedures such as lens-based implants and corrective treatments that leave the natural lens in place. The word thus exists to name a state that was rarely worth naming until cataract removal and lens implants became routine, when a contrast with the lens-free eye became necessary.