Phacoemulsification
/ˌfeɪ.koʊ.ɪˌmʌl.sɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/noun
A surgical technique that uses ultrasonic energy to break up and remove a cloudy eye lens during cataract surgery.
Did you know?The term became associated with Charles Kelman’s 1960s cataract technique, which used ultrasonic vibrations to fragment the lens so it could be removed through a tiny incision.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰel-
“To shine or appear bright; a proposed deep source associated with Greek phakos and ideas of brightness or a lentil-like object.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φακός (phakos)
“A lentil; also a lens-shaped object or lens of the eye.”
19th Century
Scientific English
phaco-
“A combining form referring to the crystalline lens of the eye, derived from Greek phakos.”
Latin
Latin
emulgēre
“To milk out; the source of the scientific sense of extracting or dispersing liquid substances.”
17th–19th Centuries
French/English
émulsion / emulsion
“A dispersed mixture of liquids that do not normally blend, from Latin emulgēre.”
1960s
Medical English
phacoemulsification
“A modern surgical term for fragmenting and removing the eye’s lens, typically with ultrasonic energy.”