Ortho-K Q and A
Corneal refractive therapy, or Ortho-K, is intended to treat nearsightedness without surgery. Corneal refractive therapy works by inserting a rigid gas permeable lens into your eye to help your cornea reform to its original, rounded shape. If LASIK isn’t right for you, consider corneal refractive therapy as an option. Visit your Huntington Station or Lake Grove eye doctor to find out if conreal refractive therapy is the best solution for your vision. If you live in Commack or Plainview, NY our eye care offices are only minutes away.
It's hard to imagine waking up in the morning and not having to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day! It would free you up for a host of activities that you may otherwise avoid because of your need to wear glasses or contact lenses.
Vision Correction while you are sleeping...
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See what the experts are saying about the benefits of Corneal Reshaping
A recently FDA approved, revolutionary non-surgical contact lens treatment that improves your natural vision in a matter of hours without drugs or surgery is called Ortho-K or Corneal Refractive Therapy, and it really works.
Your nearsightedness and astigmatism will improve dramatically the day after your first night sleeping with these therapeutic retainers. Excellent vision is achieved in a unique way, with the wearing of specially designed contact lenses retainers. These lenses are custom designed to gently change the shape of your cornea ( the front curvature of your eye) to safely and quickly improve your vision. The best analogy for corneal refractive therapy is "orthodontics for the eye". The corneal shape is altered by gentle pressure from custom-designed contact lenses.
Corneal Refractive Therapy is a non-surgical process that reshapes (flattens) the cornea using contact lenses to reduce nearsightedness and astigmatism. Ortho-k was first used over 40 years ago when hard lenses were the only materials available. A series of hard lenses were needed during daytime wear until the desired results were attained. This often times took many months to accomplish.
Accelerated ortho-keratology was started in the late 1990’s because of the availability of new rigid gas permeable materials that were approved for overnight use along with advances in computer-assisted lathes and technological advances in the procedure. It is now possible to achieve reduction of myopia in a matter of days.
Since the amount of corneal flattening can be precisely controlled, it is possible to bring the eye into correct focus and correct for the refractive error. After removing the lenses the cornea maintains its flattened shape for most or all of the day. A retainer lens is then used each night to maintain the corneal flattening, otherwise, myopia will begin to revert back to its pretreatment level.
Both children and adults can be treated with corneal refractive therapy since the principles of flattening the cornea is not affected by the person’s age. The most important reason for treating children is to stop or decrease the progression of myopia. Ortho-k is used to slow or stop the increase in axial length of the eye that occurs in growing children who are becoming more nearsighted on a yearly basis.
This stabilizing effect has advantages long term where a patient may be able to function when not wearing glasses or contacts and possibly being able to preserve the possibility of having refractive surgery when getting older where many patients are no longer candidates because they have become too nearsighted and are no longer eligible to have the surgery.
The second advantage for children is the ability to participate in sports without having to wear corrective eyewear. Glasses can be cumbersome when paying sports and contact lens wear is inconvenient when being around dusty environments or when swimming.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE?
If you have been unable to wear contact lenses for any reason (discomfort, allergies, inconvenience, dryness, etc.), you may also be a great candidate because this treatment lens is so easy to use and it's worn while you sleep. This greatly reduces any discomfort you may have experienced while using conventional contact lenses.
You are also a great candidate if you need excellent vision without the use of contacts or glasses. Corneal refractive therapy benefits pilots, police officers, military personnel and those with safety concerns such as professional athletes, parents of small children, lifeguards, and many others.
If you just don't want to be bothered with wearing glasses or contact lenses during a variety of activities such as hiking, playing sports, swimming, skiing, camping, off-road driving, biking, snorkeling, scuba and more, Corneal Refractive Therapy is for you.
WHY ARE CHILDREN GOOD CANDIDATES?
Studies from around the world have indicated that corneal refractive therapy can keep your children's nearsightedness from getting worse. Currently, an ongoing 5 year FDA study is seeking to confirm previous studies and prove anecdotal evidence to this fact. Increasing nearsightedness is also a risk factor for detached retina and glaucoma and is another reason to choose Corneal Refractive Therapy.Your child is an especially good candidate if they have a tendency to lose or abuse their contact lenses/glasses, or if wearing them interferes with their active life.
IS AGE A FACTOR?
No, unlike the age limits imposed on refractive surgery, our eye doctors in Huntington and Lake Grove can fit young children.And, there is no upper limit on age either.
I SUFFER FROM DRY EYES, AM I A CANDIDATE?
Dry eyes are usually not a problem while you sleep as there is little tear evaporation in a closed eye, and corneal refractive therapy lenses are only worn while you sleep. Corneal refractive therapy can provide those unable to wear conventional contact lenses due to dry eyes with excellent vision with no compromise to their comfort.
However, a comprehensive eye exam will give us a better idea of your chances for success.
Call offices in Huntington, NY or Lake Grove, NY now for a free consultation to find out if corneal refractive therapy is right for you.
Our optometrists are located inside of Lenscrafters in Huntington Station and Lake Grove