Okay, so it’s got a pretty cool name. But what exactly is Ortho-K? And does your child need it?
Ortho-K (short for Orthokeratology) is a painless, revolutionary procedure that corrects your child’s eyesight and reduces their dependence on glasses or contact lenses…
…all without having to undergo eye surgery!
Ortho-K lenses are kind of like braces for the eyes.
Except that Ortho-K is a fully reversible procedure and it’s comfortable.
Ortho-K couldn’t be easier because it works while your child is asleep at night.
These specially designed gas permeable contact lenses gently and painlessly reshape the front surface of your child’s cornea overnight.
When they wake up in the morning, they simply take out their Ortho-K lenses and enjoy clear vision throughout the day without having to wear glasses or contact lenses.
Ortho-K lenses are mainly prescribed to correct myopia (shortsightedness), but they can also work for children with astigmatism and hyperopia (farsightedness).
We can also use them to help slow the progression of your child’s myopia.
After wearing their Ortho-K lenses overnight, your child should be able to see without their glasses or contact lenses for a day or two, or sometimes even longer.
However, for best results, your child should wear their Ortho-K lenses every night.
There is no age limit for Ortho-K: children as young as six have been successfully and safely treated with Ortho-K lenses.
As Ortho-K has been shown to reduce or halt the progression of myopia (short-sightedness), it is one of the most common methods of vision correction in teenagers and pre-teens in our practice.
Ortho-K is ideal if you have a child who doesn’t want to, or is unable to, wear glasses or contact lenses all day, but they don’t mind wearing contact lenses while they sleep.
Children and teenagers especially can benefit from the freedom to play sports and wear fashion sunglasses.
This also means contact lenses or spectacles will not be left or lost at school or sport.
Ortho-K can be an excellent option for your child if they have youth-onset myopia because Ortho-K can help slow and even halt its progression.
This ground-breaking treatment can correct short sightedness (including high prescriptions), farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia (blurred near vision).
It is a great alternative to LASIK for those who don’t want the risk or are not ready for surgery.
‘On Friday I visited my optometrist who had a look at my eyes and he said my vision was almost text-book perfect.’ – Sienna, aged 13.
Your child could have excellent vision after a just a day or two of overnight Ortho-K, but if they have a higher prescription it may take two weeks or longer for maximum correction.
‘A young boy came in happily yesterday, and announced to everyone in the waiting room that he wouldn’t have to wear his glasses to school that day,’ says optometrist Michael Kotow. ‘It meant a lot to him, as he was the only child in his class wearing glasses.’
Yes! Because Ortho-K lenses are worn during sleep, comfort and lens awareness are generally not a problem.
Yes, your child’s vision with the lenses on will be the same as when they are removed in the morning.
No. Overnight contact lenses will give at least 36 hours of full vision correction. If your child wears them every night as prescribed, their vision will not fade at the end of the day.
Yes. The lenses need to be cleaned and disinfected after every wear. It’s a great job for Mum or Dad! We will go over the cleaning products you will need to care for your child’s lenses.
If your child stops wearing Ortho-K lenses when they are older, the myopia may get worse again – but it seems to be generally at a much slower rate.
Ortho-K lenses are safer than standard lenses. This is because the lenses are worn for fewer hours per week.
The risks associated with overnight Ortho-K are the similar to extended-wear overnight traditional contact lens wear.
As with all contact lens wear, there is a small risk of infection; therefore your child’s contacts should never be worn if the eyes are red, irritated, or painful.
Call your doctor immediately should any of these symptoms occur.
Young children are often singled out and bullied because they wear glasses. And for many children there is still a stigma attached to wearing glasses.
We know how important self-esteem and confidence is in young children, and how it forms the foundations of our lives.
‘For some children, Ortho-K can be life-changing, both on a physical and social/emotional level.” – Ian Donald
At Ian Donald Optometrist we provide life-changing vision through innovative technology, knowledge and expertise.
We have treated generations of families. Let us treat yours.
Call us now to assess your child’s suitability.
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