A surgical procedure involving cutting into the capsule around a body part, e.g. cutting into the lens of the eye during the removal of a cataract.
An incision into the capsule of the lens. In some operations for cataract the lens capsule is not removed and tends to become opaque. A tiny knife (cystitome) is inserted into the eye and a hole cut in the center of the capsule, thus providing a clear path for light rays to reach the retina.