Orthokeratology, also known as Ortho-K, is a reversible and safe treatment that, by adapting gas permeable contact lenses to measure, manages to correct the patient’s visual defects such as myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia. This correction is achieved by temporarily modifying the corneal curvature.
Ortho-k lenses are used while the patient sleeps. It is done to ensure that during the day they have corrected vision. And can enjoy vision without the use of contact lenses, glasses, or surgery.
How does it work?
Before knowing how Ortho-k works, we have to be clear about what causes myopia. And what Ortho-k does to correct it.
The eye can be myopic for different reasons:
- eye length
- The curvature of the cornea
Since the length of the eye cannot be modified, Ortho-k focuses on modifying the curvature of the cornea to correct myopia.
As you can imagine, each eye is different. And to achieve a perfect correction, each case has to be studied to apply the appropriate lens.
This lens will be custom-made for each patient in order to achieve an optimal result. At Eye Practice, we use the best lenses on the market.
Our cornea is elastic by nature (depending on the patient it will have one elasticity or another), in such a way that Ortho-k lenses will have a temporary effect since the eye tends to return to its initial position. For this reason, it is necessary to apply the lenses every night when the patient sleeps, but this has a great advantage, the treatment is reversible at any time and does not modify the eye with definitive effects (unlike other treatments such as Lasik). If you take interest in knowing what other advantages it has over Lasik, here is a detailed post.
When the cornea changes its curvature, it manages to reduce the number of diopters in the patient and the corneal flattening corrects myopia throughout the day if the patient has slept enough hours.
What does it consist of?
The modification of the corneal curvature is not achieved 100% on the first day but is gradually corrected night after night.
The evolution is indicative since depending on the elasticity of the patient, the patient’s objective can be achieved before 4 weeks.
While the desired prescription is achieved, daily contact lenses should be worn during the day. Since the prescription will be progressively better but it will not look good enough to go without correction.
Also read: How Many Days Will There be Pain after a Root Canal?
Advantage
Orthokeratology has a number of advantages over other treatments that are very beneficial for the patient.
- You do not need surgery: unlike other treatments to correct myopia, Ortho-k does not require surgery. It is a treatment that is done through contact lenses at night.
- Not needing surgery protects the patient from many side effects of going into the operating room.
- Reversible: the elasticity of our cornea makes the eye return to its initial state when it is decided to pause the treatment.
- Corrected vision during the day: during the day the patient will see correctly and will be able to lead a normal life without the need for glasses and contact lenses.
- A solution for opponents of security forces: In much opposition to security forces (mossos de squad, national police, civil guard, etc…) a certain visual acuity is made to be able to pass the medical examination. This revision is not possible with contact lenses or glasses, so the only solution is through Ortho-k and surgery.
- Doctors highly recommend the use of orthokeratology for this option. Since there are side effects of Lasik therefore Doctors do not prescribe this type of work.
- Perfect for sports: the Ortho-k is especially suitable for certain sports such as contact sports and water sports. In the latter, the use of contact lenses can cause serious problems, and glasses are not a comfortable option. You can get the treatment at Eye Practice while taking the benefits of hearing aids as well.
- Ideal for children: Orthokeratology is a treatment with proven results in controlling the progression of myopia in children.