Ortho K in 3 Easy Steps
Ortho K is a safe, non-surgical treatment that uses precise, specially shaped contact lenses to treat many common eye conditions.
01 MEASURE
Eye conditions that become intolerable can easily be managed through prescribed eye glasses, contact lenses, surgery or orthokeratology. However, wearing eye glasses and contact lenses on a daily basis may not be for everyone. Your journey to becoming free from glasses or daytime contact lenses starts with a consultation with one of our optometrists. Call in for an appointment or drop by any of our clinics in Melbourne at let us get started!
During this Ortho K appointment we use state of the art Corneal Topography (mapping) technology to measure the exact shape of your cornea. No need to get worried that someone will be touching your eyes nor someone being too near you for safety measures.
By mapping the surface of your eye, we can then tailor the Ortho K lens specifically for you, creating a bespoke lens which will gently reshape the cornea with the aim of achieving maximum improvement of your vision.
02 SLEEP
With Ortho K you don’t need to wear glasses or daytime contact lenses. That’s the goal!
All that is required is a good night’s sleep while wearing your ortho k contact lenses and your vision will be clear due to the reshaping of your cornea by the Ortho K Lenses.
Unlike common contact lenses, orthokeratology contact lenses were designed to be worn during sleep to slowly reshape your eyes’ curvature as while you rest looking forward to clearer vision the next day. Isn’t that something to look forward to?
This is why we say sleep to see!
03 SEE
Ortho K lenses improve your vision after first night of wear.
During the first week that you wear your ortho k contact lenses you will notice the quality of your vision improving as the quantity of correction increases. A noticeable difference will be seen upon the very first night of the treatment. How awesome is that?
By the first week your vision will have improved significantly (around 50-70% correction) and, in many cases, perfect or near perfect vision is achievable by the first or second week.
MYOPIA
If you are myopic (short-sighted), the lenses will gently flatten the central cornea and steepen the peripheral cornea in order to correct the refraction.
PRESBYOPIA
If you are presbyopic (blurred near-vision), the lenses work by steepening the central cornea and flattening the peripheral cornea
HYPEROPIA
If you are hyperopic (long-sighted), the lenses will gently steepen the central cornea and flatten the peripheral cornea in order to correct the refraction.
ASTIGMATISM
If you are astigmatic (deviation of spherical curvature), the bespoke, toric Ortho K lenses can be designed to correct vision distortion in vertical and horizontal directions.
What to expect from Orthokeratology Treatment or Ortho K?
Orthokeratology is a course of treatment that requires patience and commitment. By using special orthokeratology contact lenses that are meant to be worn overnight, one is expected to have improved vision specially for people with myopia, astigmatism or hyperopia. However, not everyone who has vision difficulties is qualified to go through this course of treatment. Here’s what to expect when thinking of getting orthokeratology whether for you or ortho k for kids.
First Consultation
When you walk in our clinic, our highly experienced optometrists will test and asses your suitability for orthokeratology. Through a corneal topographer, the optometrist will measure the shape and surface of your eye. This is a completely digital machine that uses wave front imaging to map out your eyes.
Initial Instructions
It’s best to be prepared and to know that you will have to get used to touching your eye. Some people are hesitant to put anything near the eye area which is why ortho k needs some getting used to. Not to worry! You can always ask our team to walk you through the process and help you get the hang of it. You have to learn how to put on your contact lenses, to remove and to maintain them. Hence why orthokeratology also requires commitment.
First Day
Most people see a significant improvement in vision upon the first night of wearing the ortho k lenses. Right after waking up, remove the contact lenses and store as instructed. Your optometrist will check how the contact lenses affected the shape of your cornea over night. This is also a chance for you to ask anything about your experience, if there is something uncomfortable or you may also say if you see an improvement. If nothing needs to be adjusted and all seems to be doing well, you will continue with the course of treatment to better vision.
First Week
After 7 days of wearing ortho k contact lenses every night, it’s time to visit your optometrist again. By this time, you should already see major improvements in your vision and hardly even feel the need to go back to wearing glasses or regular contact lenses. Once again, your optometrist will measure how your eye shape has changed and how the ortho k contact lenses affected your cornea. Still, you can always say if you feel any discomfort and if you have any other questions that may involve adjusting or replacing the contact lenses.
Regular Follow Ups
Orthokeratology is not a permanent solution. In order to enjoy the effects of the treatment, one has to continuously maintain wearing ortho k contact lenses during sleep. If one fails to do so, the cornea has a tendency to go back to its original shape and your vision will go back to being the way it was when you were first diagnosed with myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism which means you have to go back to wearing eye glasses or contact lenses during the day in order to see clearly. During the first few weeks and months of your treatment, it is advised to see your optometrist on a scheduled basis to ensure continued progress and improvement. This is to monitor the changes in your eyes and to make sure that the treatment is working.