Orthokeratology, simply known as Ortho-K, is gaining popularity. The best part about it is that it offers a 2-in-1 solution: it corrects your vision AND helps slow down the rate of nearsightedness progression.
To begin, let’s understand what Ortho-K is:
Ortho-K involves sleeping in a specially designed mold that looks like a contact lens. As you sleep, the mold gently reshapes your cornea to correct your vision. When you wake up in the morning and remove the mold, you see 20/20 without the use of traditional glasses or contact lenses! SO COOL!
Now for the good-stuff:
This method of vision correction offers you an added bonus when used in pediatric and adolescent patients-–it is one of the most effective methods of addressing childhood myopia and slowing progression rates.
Remember how Dr. Ashley Tucker discussed growth of the eye? A nearsighted eye is an eye that is longer than average. Once nearsighted, the eye tends to increase in length from year to year, resulting in MORE nearsightedness.
Ortho-K molds redistribute corneal tissue to correct for vision and as a secondary effect, this redistribution SLOWS DOWN the signal for eye growth by 40% from one year to the next. Basically, the rest of the retina is not as under-corrected as it is in traditional methods. That means if you sleep in the mold each night, slowed progression rates will result in less prescription increases overtime.
Better outcomes are reached when treatment is started at an early age and its effects are more prominent during the first years of use.
Feeling interested, yet?
Contact Dr. Aamena Kazmi or Dr. Ashley Tucker to find out if Ortho-K is a good “fit” for you!
-Aamena Kazmi, OD, Diplomate ABO
Therapeutic Optometrist at BFEC