Ortho-K

 We are pleased to announce that we now offer ortho-k and myopia control services!

What is myopia?

Myopia (or nearsightedness) is a type of refractive error where it is difficult for someone to see far away without the help of glasses or contact lenses. It is the most common type of refractive error and it is projected that half of the world's population will be myopic by the year 2050 (Landreneau et al., 2021). People with higher degress of myopia (more than -6.00D) are at greater risk of certain eye conditions, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, amblyopia (lazy eye), and early-onset cataracts (Landreneau et al., 2021). One of the most common causes of myopia is when the eyeball grows longer than expected (Landreneau et al., 2021).

What is myopia control?

Myopia control consists of several different methods to slow down the progression of myopia and it is most effective when initiated during childhood (Landreneau et al., 2021). The purpose of myopia control is to slow down the eyeball from growing longer, but it doesn't stop the growth completely. For myopia control paitents, the length of the eyeball is periodically measured to make sure that the treatment is effective.

Myopia control treatments offered by Dr. Grace Chau include ortho-k, MiSight soft contact lenses, atropine eye drops, and myopia control glasses. Not every treatment method is suitable for each patient, so a thorough assessment is required before selecting an appropriate treatment plan.

What is ortho-k?

Orthokeratology (commonly known as ortho-k, OK lenses, or "eye braces") is a form of vision correction for myopia. A special hard contact lens is worn overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea of the eye (Landreneau et al., 2021). When the contact lens is removed the next morning, you will be able to see clearly without any additional glasses or contact lenses!

Who is a suitable candidate for ortho-k?

Ortho-k is suitable for people with mild to moderate myopia (less than -6.00D) and mild astigmatism (less than -1.75DC) (Landreneau et al., 2021). It may also be suitable for people who are not ready to undergo laser eye correction, but also want to be free of glasses and contact lenses during the day. Although ortho-k is also used for myopia control, adults may use ortho-k for vision correction withouth having to periodically measure the length of their eyeball.

References

Landreneau, J. R., Hesemann, N. P., & Cardonell, M. A. (2021). Review on the Myopia Pandemic: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention. Missouri medicine, 118(2), 156–163.