Fully treated portion of the cornea after laser eye surgery, as determined in corneal topography. May be smaller than the programmed optical zone. Not a well defined term in the ophthalmic community.

Discrepancies between the programmed optical zone and the effective optical zone have a number of causes, including uniquenesses of laser delivery techniques on certain laser platforms, underablation, and "shrinkage" and remodelling that take place during healing.

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