Orthokeratology (Corneal re-shaping)

Orthokeratology is a non-surgical alternative to Laser surgery. It involves being fitted with and wearing special rigid gas permeable contact lenses that that gently reshape the clear front surface of the eye (cornea), so you can see clearly even after you remove the lenses.

Ortho-K works best with myopia (short sightedness) up to 4 dioptres and astigmatism (irregular corneal surface) up to 1.5 dioptres. The effect of orthokeratology is temporary - generally enough to eliminate your need for glasses or contacts for a day or so. Then you have to wear the ortho-k lenses again to maintain the proper corneal shape.

During the process of wearing the contact lenses, the outer layer of the cornea, the "epithelium" is the only layer of the cornea that is altered. The contact lens sits on a thin layer of tears (the tear film) and generates forces that gradually create a new corneal shape. The corneal epithelium is renewed every 14 days throughout life so the process of ortho-K is completely safe and reversible.

Ortho-K has been shown to decrease the rate of myopia progression and thus is an excellent option for children with progressing myopia. It is also useful for people who participate in sports, or who work in dusty, dirty environments that can cause problems for regular contact lenses.

When we begin with ortho-K, we initially take a Corneal Topography map, which gives us an accurate picture of the exact curvature of your cornea. This procedure is completely painless. From there, contact lenses are custom made.

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Patient Questionnaires

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