What is Ortho-K

Ortho-K

The number of kids that are suffering from nearsightedness (myopia) has been growing rapidly over the last 25 years and is expected to fully impair 50% of the world’s population by the year 2020. This rapid increase is due in part to children spending more time studying, reading and using the computer rather than playing outdoors. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now views progressive myopia as an epidemic.

Increasing myopia causes poor vision. More importantly, it can lead to sight threatening conditions like retinal detachments and glaucoma. The earlier children exhibit myopia, the more likely they will progress to dangerously high levels.

Introducing Ortho-K. Ortho-K is a revolutionary non-surgical procedure that eliminates the need for glasses or daytime contact lenses. It improves vision by gently reshaping your eyes while you sleep using custom designed therapeutic contact lenses. You put the specially fitted lenses in at bedtime, and when you awake, you will have clear, sharp, natural vision for your waking hours.

This safe and effective treatment can correct near-sightedness (myopia), farsightedness and astigmatism. The added benefit for kids 8-18, is that it halts the progression of myopia. If we diagnose an 8 year old with myopia, traditionally we would fit them to glasses and each year their Rx would likely increase putting him or her into thicker and heavier lenses along with increasing the risk of eye disease down the road.

However, if we fit kids to Ortho-K, their myopia is unlikely to progress, greatly reducing their future risk of retinal detachment, cataracts and glaucoma.

Ortho-K is fully reversible, unlike surgery. If you stop wearing your retainer lenses, your eyes will revert back to their original prescription.