Wake up to clear vision

What is Ortho K?

Ortho K is gentle reshaping of the cornea (the front window of the eye) to correct blurred vision, using contact lenses. Ortho K is also known as orthokeratology, corneal reshaping, and corneal refractive therapy.

Special custom designed contact lenses worn overnight, alter the shape of the cornea to produce clear, lasting vision throughout the day once the lenses are removed.

How does Orthokeratology work?

Soft tissues of the body conform to gentle and persistent pressure – intentionally like braces used to straighten teeth, and incidentally such as the effects of shoes on feet and toes.

Ortho K lenses designed specifically for your eyes will gently reshape your corneas as you sleep to the slightly different curvature needed to focus clearly again. The change is only a few microns (1/1000mm) and unlike teeth and toes (which remain permanently in the new conformation), the cornea will return to its original shape over a few days if contact lens wear stops.

The science and technology used to map the eye and generate the precise curves of Ortho K lenses is complicated, but the process is simple for you:

You wear your individually customised lenses while you sleep. When you wake up, remove the lens and you will be able to see for the rest of the day without any glasses or contact lenses. Once the correct corneal shape has been achieved (over a few days), you need to wear the Ortho K lenses every night or every second night (depending on the level of correction) to maintain clear vision the next day.

Who is suitable for Orthokeratology?

Orthokeratology is suitable for anyone over 6 or 7 years of age who can wear contact lenses, and wants to have clear vision without wearing glasses or contacts during the day. It is most successful for people who fit the following profile:

• Mild to moderate myopia (-0.50D to –4.00D)  with minimal astigmatism
• Sports people, active individuals and those who risk losing their contacts
• Those whose jobs don't suit regular contact lenses such as in dusty environments
• Existing wearers who suffer with irritation from their contact lenses
• Those who don't want to risk laser surgery but need a reversible and affordable alternative to correct their vision
• Contact lens wearers who have allergies or get dry eyes from air conditioning or computer use
• Moderate astigmatism and some hyperopia (longsightedness) may also be corrected but the results are less predictable
• Early presbyopes (reading loss from middle age) are showing some success now too

Benefits of Ortho K

• No glasses
• Control of progressing myopia in children and teenagers
• No daytime dryness or irritation from contacts
• No problems with dusty or dry environments
• No surgery
• Reversible
• You can wear regular sunglasses
• Freedom for sports, especially swimming and water sports
• Ortho K is adjustable if your vision changes

The History of Orthokeratology

Reshaping the cornea with contact lenses began in the 1960’s but was limited by the basic contact lens designs and materials available at that time, and by the limited understanding of the mechanisms involved in successfully and predictably correcting myopia.

An understanding of corneal physiology generated modern lens materials which now allow almost unlimited oxygen onto the eye and computers now enable us to precisely map the contours of the corneal surface in 3D and to produce revolutionary contact lens designs to a degree of precision previously unimagined.

These changes have led to an upsurge in Ortho K among contact lens specialists and there is enormous interest among academics now too. This is resulting in a huge increase in research on Ortho K which is being funded by governments and industry concerned about the dramatic increase in myopia.

Myopia Control and Ortho K

Myopia or short-sightedness blurs distance vision, and has become epidemic in some Asian nations, with over 90% of teenagers becoming more short-sighted every year.

The latest research from Hong Kong, Europe USA and Australia (Swarbrick 2010) confirms the observations of optometrists over many years that overnight Ortho K reduces (and may even stop) the progression of myopia in children and teenagers by at least half.

Ortho K has become the number one technique for myopia control and likely to eventually become a mainstream form of vision care. However it is only available at present from optometrists who have the clinical skills and advanced technology to utilise it.

Stopping myopia cannot be guaranteed to result for every child, but Ortho-K will give good sight all day. Parents prefer Ortho-K to regular contact lenses as they no longer have to worry about children losing contact lenses or glasses at school. Parents are more in control of their child’s lens wear, as their child only wears the lenses at home while they sleep.

FAQ’s

Can I see with my Ortho K lenses in?

Yes, all Ortho K wearers can of course see clearly with their lenses out, but our lenses also provide equally clear vision when they are in

Are the lenses comfortable?

Ythe manufacture of Ortho K lenses makes them very smooth with perfectly rounded edges; and during sleep they cannot be felt. We have had no reports of disturbed sleep from wearing lenses. When you first put them in they may feel a bit gritty, but this subsides over a few days or weeks and most wearers can function quite happily while they are still in – such as when you awaken in the night or on waking up in the morning

Can they go behind my eye?

No, the lenses fit on the centre of your eye and even if they did move, there is a pocket (fornix) up under your upper lid just like the one you can see if you pull your lower lid down.

Do I need to wear them every night?

This varies from person to person. Most people wear them every night or every second night. Your optometrist will advise you what schedule is best for your eyes and vision

How often do the lenses need to be replaced?

Despite its perfect surfaces, an Ortho K lens is still a foreign body in the eye. An annual check up is mandatory and all lenses need to be replaced two yearly at the most. If your vision changes or your lenses get damaged they may need to be replaced sooner. Old, scratched and dirty lenses increase the chances of eye infections and must be replaced for eye health and safety

Are the lenses hard to take care of?

No - just rub them clean with the recommended solution when you take them out, and store in the case provided. Because they're worn while you sleep, there are no hassles during the day — no drying out, no adjusting lenses, and no cases or solutions to carry around. Most people also need to do a brief monthly protein removal in Progent solution

Can I use tap water to clean or store my lenses?

You must use only the solutions recommended by your optometrist. The wrong solutions can affect your lenses or damage your eye. Tap water contains bugs that can cause serious infections with overnight wear and should be avoided except in an emergency

Is Ortho K reversible

Yes your eyes will return naturally to their original shape if you leave the lenses out for more than a day or two. People who have worn Ortho K can still have Lasik eye surgery in the future. Lasik creates permanent changes which cannot be reversed.

Is it expensive?

Ortho K is by far the least expensive form of contact lens correction over time and is less than half the price of Lasik eye surgery. Please call us for details on our simple pricing