ORTHOKERATOLOGY IN SYDNEY
- Do you want to correct your vision and be free of glasses or contact lenses during all waking hours?
- Do you want a safe, non-invasive alternative to laser eye surgery?
- Do you want to ride your bicycle, swim or surf with absolute freedom?
- Are dry, uncomfortable contact lenses affecting your life?
Then Orthokeratology may be a solution for you.
Also referred to as Ortho-K, Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) or Overnight Vision Correction, Orthokeratology is a unique technology that utilises custom-fitted, oxygen-permeable rigid contact lenses to improve vision through the reshaping of the cornea while you sleep.
This safe, non-invasive and convenient process allows you the freedom to see clearly without daytime vision correction, since the lenses are worn overnight. That’s right – no glasses or contacted lenses are required during waking hours.
Ortho-K is suitable for most shortsighted patients, with or without astigmatism, and ideal for sportspeople, swimmers, surfers, or those who simply prefer not to wear glasses or contact lenses. Like refractive surgery, Ortho-K gives clear unaided visual acuity; however, it has no surgical risks and is reversible.
HOW ORTHO-K WORKS
Ortho-K lenses are worn while you sleep and are removed in the morning. They have a unique design, which generates pressure in the thin layer of tears under the contact lens. It’s like braces for your teeth. The cornea is highly elastic and will return to its original shape if the lenses are not worn on a regular basis. For this reason, Ortho-K lenses are usually worn every night to maintain the re-shaping effect once the desired cornea shape has been achieved.
After you remove the lenses in the morning, the result is clear vision the whole day, without the need of glasses or contact lenses. Ortho-K has no permanent ocular change, giving you ultimate control and flexibility of your vision correction without the risks involved in laser eye surgery.
Ortho-K is also a very effective technique for myopia control. More than a decade ago, several eyecare professionals suggested that Ortho-K lenses could potentially be used to prevent myopia progression. This theory was later proved true by the Children’s Overnight Orthokeratology Investigation (COOKI) pilot study, in 2004, and the Longitudinal Orthokeratology Research in Children (LORIC) study, in 2005, followed by other research that confirmed Ortho-K as a safe and effective treatment to control myopia in children. For more information, please visit our Research & Evidence page.
Ortho-K is currently one of the more sought-after treatments in our Sydney practices, so we have created an entire website dedicated to it. Visit Orthokeratology Sydney for more information, research and FAQ, and to download our Ortho-K Information Package.