Orthokeratology, or ortho-k, is a treatment that uses special, gas-permeable contact lenses to gradually reshape your cornea, or the clear surface of the eye, while you sleep.
This temporary reshaping improves your vision, providing a safe and effective way to manage common refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Mary Demirjian, OD, and our team at Wide Eye Optometry regularly prescribe ortho-k to children, teens, and adults. Read on to discover how ortho-k works, who’s a good candidate, and what to expect during treatment.
Orthokeratology uses special contact lenses to reshape your cornea and sharpen your vision. We often compare it to orthodontics because both use a specialized device to gradually change how a part of the body functions or is shaped; in this case, ortho-k improves vision.
The results of ortho-k aren’t permanent, but they can be maintained if you wear your contacts overnight as prescribed.
We often recommend ortho-k to children and teens because their eyes are still developing, and it may be used as part of a myopia management plan to help slow the progression of nearsightedness. Some adults may benefit, too, especially if they aren’t candidates for other treatments, like LASIK.
Ortho-k can effectively manage mild and moderate refractive errors, particularly nearsightedness and astigmatism. However, it isn’t a good fit for everyone.
Before recommending this approach, we complete a comprehensive eye exam, including visual acuity testing, refraction tests, and optical coherence tomography (OCT), a type of diagnostic imaging that lets us view the retina at the back of your eye.
If you or your child has a mild refractive error and no other underlying eye conditions, you’re likely a good candidate for treatment.
If we determine that you or your child can benefit from ortho-k, we move forward with corneal mapping and lens fitting. This process ensures that the contacts you wear at night during sleep fit well and provide the necessary support to temporarily flatten your cornea.
Corneal mapping uses a special device that captures highly detailed images of the surfaces of your eyes. It then converts those images into color-coded maps that help us fit your ortho-k contacts.
We send your results to a nearby lab that creates a set of contacts designed specifically for your needs. Once your contacts are ready, you return to our office and try them on.
Ortho-k is only effective for as long as you wear your contacts. If you only wear them occasionally or stop wearing them altogether, your corneas will revert to their original shape, and your vision will return to how it was before treatment.
The good news is that ortho-k can be safely used long-term with proper care and regular checkups. If you respond well to treatment and don’t want to wear contacts or glasses during the day, it can be a great option for supporting your vision.
If you wear glasses or contacts and don’t want to use them during the day, consider ortho-k. After discussing your goals, reviewing your records, and completing an eye exam, we can make personalized recommendations.
Ready to learn more? We’re here to help. Call or click online to schedule an appointment at your nearest Wide Eye Optometry office in Encino, Santa Clarita, or Palmdale, California, today.