Is Ortho-K a non-surgical vision correction alternative?
Ortho-K San Diego
For people who would like to be free of the need for corrective lenses (glasses or contacts) in their everyday life, laser vision correction can be a great option. By altering the shape of the cornea (the clear tissue at the front of the eye), this procedure offers a permanent way to improve your vision. LASIK achieves good results for many people, and has a very high satisfaction rate.
However, there are some people who aren’t able to have laser vision correction. They may have corneas that are too thin, or have a medical condition that affects healing. They may regularly engage in contact sports like boxing, martial arts, or wrestling, and may not want to take time away from this activity to recover from LASIK. For others, they don’t feel able to invest the time and money necessary to have the procedure, or they might simply be wary of making permanent changes to the structure of their eyes.
For people who can’t have LASIK or who don’t want to, there’s another option that could reduce or eliminate your need for glasses or contacts during the day. It doesn’t involve any type of surgery. This is known as orthokeratology, or ortho-k.
What is Ortho-K?
Ortho-k is a method of using specially designed contact lenses to reshape the cornea. The tissue of the cornea is generally relatively flexible, and its shape can change in response to pressure. With ortho-k, specially designed hard contact lenses are used to put gentle pressure on the cornea and reshape it. While laser vision correction reshapes the cornea permanently using laser energy, ortho-k reshapes it temporarily using pressure.
The ortho-k lenses are worn only at night. During the day, the reshaped cornea provides clearer vision, which can reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses. The cornea will slowly return to its previous shape over time, so the lenses need to be worn each night to help keep the cornea in its new shape.
Can adults use Ortho-K?
Ortho-k is commonly used in children, particularly those with myopia (nearsightedness). Because children’s corneas are very malleable, ortho-k is very effective for them, and may work more quickly. However, ortho-k is approved for use in people of any age, and adults can certainly benefit from ortho-k as well. In fact, studies have found that ortho-k is effective for adults, with success rates of up to 90% and a high satisfaction rate.
The most common complication of ortho-k is corneal staining. This involves changes in the appearance of the cornea. If this occurs, then it usually only takes a few days to resolve after ortho-k is discontinued. Other changes in the appearance of the eye can also occur, but this isn’t usually a serious issue. There is also a small risk of a serious eye infection. It’s very important to be diligent about keeping the lenses clean and always using clean hands to insert and remove them, to reduce the risk of this occurring. It’s rare, but it can cause serious problems when it does occur.
Ortho-K San Diego
For adults who want to be free of the need for glasses or contacts during the day, but who aren’t candidates for laser vision correction or prefer a less permanent option, ortho-k offers a non-surgical vision correction option. If you’d like to learn more about your vision correction options, please make an appointment for a consultation here at our office. One of our expert eye doctors will be happy to talk more with you about your surgical and non-surgical options, and to let you know what they would recommend in your particular case. Simply contact our front desk to book your appointment.
