Many children are now undergoing orthokeratology treatment as a way to prevent the progression of nearsightedness (myopia). While in general it is reliable and effective, there are some circumstances in which children’s eyesight continue to worsen despite wearing the lenses.
What Is Orthokeratology.
Orthokeratology is the art and science of using a specially designed rigid gas permeable contact lens to flatten the front curvature of the eye so as to temporarily reduce or eliminate an individual’s nearsightedness while being worn overnight. You may have heard of it also being called “ortho-k” or CRT (Corneal Refractive Therapy, a specific brand of orthokeratology lens). Orthokeratology can be very useful in myopia control and several studies have shown that it is a safe and effective method to prevent worsening of myopia. Some benefits include:
- Ability to not wear glasses or contact lenses during the day—great for sports.
- Inhibits elongation of the eye and thus prevents myopia progression.
- Allows clear vision without glasses for those who do not qualify for LASIK.
Some limitations of orthokeratology include:
- Not suitable for those with large pupils, high prescriptions, excessive dry eyes, or flat corneas.
- A small percentage of patients do not completely adapt to wearing a rigid lens.
- Must be worn every night in order to maintain its effects.
Why See Us For Ortho-K?
Orthokeratology and vision therapy go hand in hand in regards to myopia control. We have seen many cases of UNSUCCESSFUL orthokeratology patients whose myopia continued to worsen despite wearing the lenses nightly. In every one of these cases, the patient had a significant binocular disorder which made near viewing excessively stressful on the eyes. In all of these cases, treating the underlying binocular problem allowed the orthokeratology lenses to do their job in controlling the myopia.
Ensuring that orthokeratology works for your child is very important to us! We want to be certain that your child’s myopia is adequately arrested so that it no longer worsens every year and we have the knowledge and tools to ensure that happens. Call us today with your questions on ortho-k!