Orthokeratology: Reshaping the Eye with Contact Lenses

Wouldn't it be great if your Myopia(Shortsightedness) could be corrected while you sleep? It might sound far-fetched, but it's a reality for some people. It's called orthokeratology, or ortho k, and it is available here.



Here's how it works:

When you sleep, you wear special contact lenses that gently reshape the surface of your eye, so you can see clearly even after you remove the lenses. The effect is temporary - generally enough to get you through a day or two, but you must wear the special lenses each night.

Ortho-k: Not a New Idea

Reshaping the cornea with contact lenses to improve vision isn't new. Orthokeratology has been ued a a technique for decades. However, in the past ortho-k produced mixed results and wasn't approved for overnight wear, so the procedure had limited appeal. Recently new manufacturing methods and lens designs and the ability to take more accurate and complete corneal measurements were enabling orthokeratology lenses to achieve much higher success rates than experienced in the past. The performance of "reverse geometry" designs have fueled new excitement about orthokeratology.

How Does It Work?

Myopia is caused by light coming into the eye in such a way that it doesn't focus properly on the retina. Typically, this problem is corrected by using spectacles or regular contact lenses to re-focus the light rays.
A similar result can be achieved by reshaping your cornea. LASIK is a surgical way to do this.
Ortho-k contact lenses flatten your cornea without surgery, enabling light to focus properly on your retina, resulting in better vision.

Who Is a Candidate?

Orthokeratology is for people of any age who are Myopic. The reccommended degrees of Myopia than can be successfully corrected are up to -4.5 dioptres. Astigmatism can also be corrected up to -1.50 dioptres.
The procedures can be performed on practically anyone of any age, as long as their eyes are healthy. Ortho-k holds particular appeal for people who participate in sports, or who work in dusty, dirty environments that can cause problems for regular contact lenses. Because ortho-k offers similar benefits to LASIK, it's also appealing to adolescents and teens, who are not eligible for LASIK.

What to Expect When You Begin

We begin by measuring the curvatures of your corneas using an instrument called a corneal topographer — a painless procedure that takes about a minute and produces a topographical map of your eye's surface. We then use these measurements to order a custom made pair of lenses from NO7,a Contact Lens Lab based in Hastings. NO7 use Dreamlite Soft-wear to facilitate this custom made process.



When the lenses arrive an appointment is needed to teach proper handling and useage of the lenses. The next appointment is made for the morning after the first nights wear. Usually some of the Myopia and Astigmatism will have been corrected after this first wear - The full effect can take up to 10 days and several changes of lenses.At every appointment we will take a new set of Topography measurements that we use to asses the effectiveness of procedure.

The contact lenses will be replaced every 6 months to ensure maximum effectiveness

What are the Advantages of OrthoK?

#Good Vision without Spectacles or Contact Lenses for Most of the day.
#It is Not a Surgical Procedure
#It is Reversible.
#It is Non-Invasive.
#It is Modifiable.
#It Does Not Hurt.


What are the Disadvantages of OrthoK?

#You must be prepared to allow for 4-10 visits over 3-6 months.
#Retainer Lens Wear is essential or the Cornea will revert to its original shape.
#The degree of success is high but cannot always be guaranteed.
#The rate of improvement varies from one person to the next.You must be prepared to follow instructions implicitly for the best results.

Does Orthok Have Any Advantages Over Excimer Laser Surgery?

#Yes!
#The procedure is REVERSIBLE (Excimer is not!).
#It does not involve post-operative pain.
#It does not leave the hazy vision often experienced by patients following laser surgery.
#There is no loss of Bowman's membrane (the tough protective layer just under the Corneal surface).
#Both eyes are done together (rather than several weeks or months apart).
#Changes in prescription over time can be dealt with (unlike Excimer).
#OrthoK is significantly cheaper

If you require any more information, or would like to make an appointment, please do contact us.