Orthokeratology

Many patients come to us every day struggling to get through their daily lives with their current choice of vision correction. Some have eyeglasses that do not sit properly on their face or feel that their peripheral vision is hindered by the frames. While contact users may find the lenses uncomfortable or have them fall out at inconvenient times. For these patients, we are pleased to offer orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, a revolutionary way to help you see clearly throughout the day without having to wear glasses or contacts and without having to get laser eye surgery.

What is Ortho-K?

Generations ago, eye doctors knew that the tissue in the eye was soft and somewhat malleable. This knowledge caused them to wonder if they could push the eye back into the proper shape, would an individual be able to see clearly even if they were not wearing their prescription lenses. With the development of gas permeable contact lenses, a few eye doctors began to notice that their patient’s prescriptions did not change as rapidly as previously noted and that they appeared to be able to see correctly even when they were not wearing their contacts.

From these early discoveries, the world of Ortho-K was born. Ortho-K is a special treatment to help patients see clearly even when they are not wearing a prescription lens. Instead, a special gas permeable contact lens is placed into the eye each night before bed and the lens gently pushes the eye into the proper shape while you sleep. In the morning, you can remove the lenses and still see clearly throughout the day. Some patients can even see clearly for up to three days after wearing them for just one night!

Who Should Consider Ortho-K?

• There are a number of issues that our patients can have with prescription lenses. If you have one of the following conditions or concerns, call our office today to schedule an appointment.

• Allergies to the materials in contact lenses

• Dry eye that is made worse by wearing prescription lenses

• Dirt or other debris that gets under contact lenses

• You play sports and do not want to worry about glasses or contacts

• The ability to wake up at night and see clearly

• A general dislike of glasses or contacts
  
  

How Long Does It Take?

Once you receive your custom Ortho-K contact lenses, it will take anywhere from one to four weeks to fully see all the benefits to your vision that they will provide. However, some of our patients find that their vision has improved after only wearing their lenses for a single night! During the first few days, you may also still need to wear prescription lenses to see clearly enough to drive or get through your normal day, but that is generally quickly resolved. Also, some patients experience some mild discomfort for the first few nights, but as your eyes adjust over a few days, you should no longer be bothered by the feel of your lenses. Is the Procedure Safe? Orthokeratology was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. The procedure is considered safe, effective, and reversible. However, there are some side effects associated with Ortho-K. Most of these side effects are a result of improper cleaning of the lenses that can lead to a minor infection. These infections are usually remedied fairly quickly with the use of antibiotic eyedrops.

Overview

If you are sick and tired of wearing contact lenses or glasses every single day and would like an alternative way to correct your vision, consider trying Ortho-K. If you would like more information on Ortho-K, please call our offices today and see how we can improve your everyday life.

PROTECTING YOUR CHILD’S POTENTIAL WITH PARAGON CRT®
CRT, or Corneal Refractive Therapy, is a non-surgical option that helps correct nearsightedness without the daytime use of contacts or glasses. CRT lenses are worn at night, and correct the curvature of the cornea while sleeping so you can see clearly during the day.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND CRT
Ortho-K (short for Orthokeratology) is a non-surgical solution for patients with myopia (nearsightedness) that uses specially designed contact lenses (like Paragon CRT® lenses) to improve vision.

When worn overnight, Paragon CRT® contact lenses gently corrects the curvature of the cornea, resulting in a corneal shape that focuses light correctly onto the retina. When removed in the morning, distant objects will come back into focus and patients can see clearly without the use of glasses or daytime contacts.

Ortho-K Treatment for Clear Daytime Vision
This gentle, non-surgical treatment uses specially-designed contact lenses that reduce the effect of myopia with continuous overnight wear. Similar to a custom dental retainer from an orthodontist, worn overnight to correct the alignment of teeth, Euclid lenses are made specifically for your child’s unique eyes, and they work comfortable to reshape the cornea while they sleep.

Once these overnight corneal reshaping lenses are removed in the morning, your child’s eyes naturally maintain the adjusted shape, so your child has clear vision all day, without the need for daytime corrective lenses or glasses. To maintain the effect of myopia reduction, overnight lens wear must be continued as prescribed by your doctor.

The best part about Euclid overnight orthokeratology treatment for myopia management is how easy it is for your child.

They just put their Euclid lenses on before they go to sleep, then the lenses comfortably work to gently reshape the cornea overnight. Because they’re only worn at night, it’s easy to supervise your child’s use of their Euclid lenses. Once the lenses are removed in the morning, your child should see clearly all day.

WAVE NightLens®
Approved OrthoKeratology Night Wear Lenses

Design Personalized Ortho-K Lenses For Each Patient

Using the corneal topography data and WAVE lens design tools you can create a personalized Ortho-K lens based on individual needs of each patient. Creating a well-fitting custom Toric or Free Form Ortho-K lens for your patients are achieved in few simple steps. The size and location of the optic zone and treatment zone can be easily modified to achieve optimal results.
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Dealing with complicated cases, such as, against-the-rule astigmatism, low eccentricity, or need to create an oval shape treatment zone? WAVE can help! Take your Orthokeratology practice to the next level with the WAVE NightLens®!