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Is Ortho-K Safe?
The safety of all Ortho-K lens wearers is always our primary concern. Thankfully, Ortho-K is a safe and reversible procedure.
Ortho-K was approved by the United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. The Australian Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) includes Ortho-K lenses.
Ortho-K lenses are made from materials that allow sufficient oxygen transfer to your eyes, even when they are closed, to make overnight wear safe.
Research shows that young children can safely handle and wear Ortho-K lenses.
To ensure that everyone can safely and responsibly wear Ortho-K lenses, we will advise you of the proper lens care and hygiene procedures with written information at hand.
To provide you with the highest clinical care possible, regular and frequent eye appointments are scheduled to give you the best Ortho-K experience.
At Eye & I, we also provide you with an after-hours contact and service.
How Does Ortho-K Work?
The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped surface at the front of your eyes. It functions like a window that controls and focuses light so that you can see clearly.
After taking precise measurements of the shape and curves of your cornea with our gold standard Medmont Topographer, individually customized lenses are designed to gently reshape and mould your cornea to give you the precise treatment needed for clear vision.
Cornea
Cornea with Ortho-K lens
Cornea after Ortho-K lens wear
You will notice an immediate improvement in your natural vision even after one night’s wear with Ortho-K lenses. For most people, you can enjoy clear all day lasting vision within 1-2 weeks.
Treatment can be very effective and fast, especially for lower prescriptions.
As your cornea is flexible, it will gradually return back to its original shape without Ortho-K lens wear. To maintain the best vision, it is recommended that you wear your Ortho-K lenses every night during sleep.
For children, Ortho-K has the additional benefit of controlling myopia by slowing down its progression and is considered the ‘gold standard’.
In simple terms, Ortho-K uniquely reshapes the cornea so that light is focused clearly onto both the central and peripheral retina. To the best of our knowledge, this gives the retina a ‘stop’ signal in children for further growth and increasing myopia. Regular glasses and contact lenses cannot do this.
Whilst this effect is also present for all Ortho-K wearers, presently there are no good studies to show that it slows progression of myopia in adults as compared to children.
What Can You Expect From Ortho-K?
Ortho-K is a safe, specialist procedure that reshapes your cornea during sleep to give you clear long-lasting vision throughout the day.
Ortho-K in 4 Simple Easy Steps
1. Measure
The first step on your Ortho-K journey is to have a comprehensive eye examination with us.
We will thoroughly assess the health of your eyes, prescription and discuss your suitability for Ortho-K and answer any questions you may have.
We can measure the exact shape of your eyes with our state-of-the-art corneal topographer. We will then design a fully customized Ortho-K lens tailored specifically for your eyes.
It may take 2 weeks to manufacture your precise requirements.
2. Fit
At your next appointment, you will be fitted with your specially designed Ortho-K lenses. We will take the time to guide you in how to insert, remove and care for your lenses. If you have worn soft contact lenses before, there are some differences, but this will feel very natural for you.
For children, we encourage parents to get actively involved. Most of our young children fitted with Ortho-K lenses have been very capable and are able to do everything on their own.
You will receive your contact lens cleaning and care solutions pack on this day. A detailed information sheet will also be provided for you to take home as a reminder for all we have discussed.
This appointment will usually take 1 hour (or can be longer if you need it) so that you will become fully confident with your Ortho-K lens wear.
3. Sleep
All that is required now is to wear your new Ortho-K lenses just before bedtime and have a good night’s sleep. Your lenses will immediately start to reshape and mould your cornea.
You will feel the lenses on your eyes before sleep and you will adapt to them with time.
4. Review
Next morning, we will examine your eyes after your first night’s wear with your Ortho-K lenses. We will check the health of your eyes and remeasure the shape of your cornea with the corneal topographer to monitor the treatment effect.
You will notice an improvement in your natural vision already, and for low prescriptions, it is even possible to achieve your full 20/20 vision with one night’s wear.
Your natural vision will improve with each day and for most prescriptions, you will achieve stable clear long-lasting vision within 1-2 weeks.
We will continue to carefully monitor your progress with scheduled appointments at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. At times, more appointments can be scheduled depending on your individual needs.
Thereafter, we will continue to carefully monitor your Ortho-K lens wear every 6 months.
For children, this is the perfect time to monitor the effect of Ortho-K slowing the progression of their myopia. This is best performed with axial length measurements, which is the gold-standard with our Oculus Myopia Master. You can read more on this here.
All of these consultations are included within your initial Ortho-K package.
Other Myopia articles
What is Ortho-K?
Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, is a specialist contact lens procedure that allows you to see clearly during the day without vision correction. With Ortho-K, we can design specially made lenses for you to wear at night while you sleep.
The Eye & I Ortho-K Difference
At Eye & I, we appreciate that everyone is different and that no two people are the same. We will give you realistic advice on your suitability for Ortho-K.