Upon removal of the crystalline lens, the patient is described as which of the following?

The term that best describes a patient after the removal of the crystalline lens is "aphakic." Aphakia refers to the absence of the natural lens of the eye, which typically occurs following cataract surgery or trauma. Without the crystalline lens, the eye cannot focus images directly on the retina, leading to specific visual challenges.

Aphakic patients often require corrective lenses, such as spectacles or contact lenses, to improve their vision, as they do not have the lens to help refract light properly. This condition is distinctly different from hyperopia (farsightedness) and myopia (nearsightedness), which are conditions related to the shape of the eyeball or the refractive power of the lens itself. Presbyopia, on the other hand, is a condition related to aging, where the lens becomes less flexible over time, making it difficult to focus on close objects, but does not imply the absence of the lens.

Hence, "aphakic" is the accurate term to describe a patient after the crystalline lens has been removed.