See clearly without glasses or contact lenses

Would you like to be able to see without wearing glasses or contact lenses? If so, there is a non-surgical management option available. Orthokeratology, also known as corneal refractive therapy, is a great way to say goodbye to glasses and daytime contact lenses. With this treatment, you wear molds, a rigid type of contact lens, while you sleep that gently reshapes your cornea so that you can see clearly throughout the day without glasses or contact lenses. Having freedom from glasses and contact lenses is beneficial for people who work in dusty environments or enjoy athletic activities like swimming where contact lenses can become dislodged or are contraindicated. Wearing these molds has the added benefit of slowing myopia progression in children.

What is orthokeratology (ortho-K)?

Orthokeratology is a custom designed rigid gas permeable lens (or mold) that is worn only while sleeping. This mold gently presses on your cornea, reshaping it while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning and remove the mold, you are able to see clearly. This provides you with clear vision throughout the day without glasses or contact lenses. The mold will last all year, unless you lose or mishandle it. The comforting part about this treatment is that it is temporary and reversible, unlike refractive surgery.

How does ortho-K work?

Ortho-K is a great treatment option for people who have myopia (nearsightedness). When you are myopic, the light that enters your eye focuses in front of the retina instead of on it. This makes objects that are far away appear blurry. By wearing an orthokeratology mold, the shape of the cornea is gently changed so that the light focuses directly on the retina, allowing you to see clearly. The cornea is the clear tissue that sits in front of the colored part of your eye. This tissue is not crushed or flattened by the mold. The mold sits on a layer of your tears and causes the fluid within your cornea cells to shift, making some of them thinner and others thicker. The cells hold this new position overnight. When you remove the lens in the morning, the cells very slowly revert to their normal thickness. But this process takes about 18 hours, so you retain clear vision all day long. Unlike refractive surgery, there are no incisions or removal of tissue, which makes the changes completely reversible. Therefore, the mold that you wear every night acts just like a retainer does for your teeth. Once you stop wearing the mold, your corneas and vision return to