Be free from Glasses or contact lens in the day.
A nonsurgical method of reshaping the cornea to provide Clear Vision! These lenses uses your tears to gently reshape the cornea while you are sleeping.
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K/OK lens) is the fitting of special customized gas permeable contact lenses that you wear overnight. While you are asleep, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of your eye (cornea) so you can see clearly the following day after you remove the lenses when you wake up.
This method can be used as an alternative to eyeglasses, refractive surgery, or for those who prefer not to wear contact lenses during the day.
More commonly, OK contact lenses are widely used for myopia control in children who have progressive myopia. Many studies have also shown the effectiveness of these lenses in controlling and stabilizing myopia in children.
It also allows the children who do not tolerate glasses well or have an active lifestyle, to be glasses free throughout the day, and have myopia control present at the same time.
- Mild and Rapid progressive myopia* (with or without mild astigmatism), up to -8.00Ds of myopia & -2.00Ds of astigmatism. The golden age to best control myopia is between age 6 to 12 years old where progression of myopia is most significant.
- Children and adults who want to be spectacles-free but are too young, unsuitable for LASIK or other reasons often are good candidates for OK.
- Sporty individuals or people working in dusty environments that can pose problems for contact lens wear are also good candidates.
*Please note: A pre-OK assessment is required before we determine the suitability of OK lenses on patient.
Corneal reshaping with OK lens is totally reversible, and risks are very minimal with the right care and professional reviews. Plus, you can discontinue wearing the lenses at any time, provided you are ready to put on your spectacles or contact lenses again!
Only after a thorough eye exam can we determine if Ortho-K works for you. With several recent advancements in technology and manufacturing techniques now make it possible to aid a wide range of patients.
Ortho-k is one of our key myopia control solutions. Many of our students who are myopic and astigmatic are already on Ortho-k treatment where results have shown to be excellent for myopia control. Ortho-k uses specially designed contact lenses, very much like braces, to gently mould the central part of the cornea during sleep and clear vision is achieved without glasses or contact lenses during waking hours. It is totally reversible with clear vision throughout the day and we have great success for myopia control results.
Many of our patients with slightly dry eyes do well with Ortho-K treatment. Since you are wearing the lenses only while sleeping, the closed eye state minimizes evaporative loss of tears and can give dry-eye patients suitable vision without giving you dry eye symptoms.
Most patients have rapid improvement in the first few days of treatment and achieve nearly their optimum vision in 10 to 14 days, but of course there might be individuals who may take longer than that.
The risk in wearing Ortho-K lenses is comparable to that of any contact lens. However, the best part about corneal reshaping therapy is that it is safe, non-surgical, non-invasive and reversible. Additionally, no serious adverse events were reported in FDA clinical trials.
You may have a slight awareness of the lenses when you put them on, but will not feel the lenses when you sleep and there is no sense of physical corneal change…. just visual improvement when the lenses are removed.
Ortho-K is different than wearing regular contact lenses. If you discontinue wear for one night, your vision may be impaired the next day. Previously worn glasses or contact lenses may not help. Immediate replacement is necessary! Having a spare pair of lenses is strongly recommended.
Yes, we have many adults on orthokeratology lenses and they have enjoy the comfort, convenience and vision that Ortho-K lenses bring.
