Most Advanced in Ortho-K in Albany, New Zealand
What is the Concept Behind the Ortho-K Process?
To begin, what is the concept behind the Ortho-K process? In short, the Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, process is a non-surgical process where a therapeutic mold is used in efforts to temporarily reshape your cornea while you sleep. Due to this particularly unique lens, it re-sculpts the corneal cells and allows for cells to migrate from the center of the cornea to the periphery. In turn, this changes the overall shape of the eye and allows for light to focus directly on the retina of the eye. With these lenses, they are designed to be an at-night corrective treatment. You wear the lenses at night and remove them in the morning in order to maintain improved vision throughout that day. The best candidate for this type of process is someone who wants, or needs, to refrain from using daytime contact lenses, or someone who doesn’t want to wear eyeglasses or undergo Lasik eye surgery. Some potential candidates may be: people with moderate dry eye, people who are nearsighted or farsighted, people of certain professions like pilots, law enforcement, swimmers or snorkelers, etc. who need optimal vision for their work.
How Long Will it Take to Correct Vision with Ortho-K Lenses?
In regards to the results of this correction, most eye care practitioners will aim for 20/20 vision, or “perfect” vision, for post-ortho-k results. The legal minimum vision in order to drive in the United States is 20/40, which is also an acceptable outcome that optometrists will hope for. If you’re curious about the amount of time it takes in order to expect results, it will depend. The outcome will greatly depend on your sight as of right now, especially in regards to nearsightedness. For some people, they can have amazing vision after a few days of using ortho-k overnight! However, if you are someone who has a higher prescription, results could take up to two weeks or perhaps longer in order for optimal correction. To ensure the best results, it is recommended to be diligent about wearing your corrective molds every night. For a period of time before your eyesight is full corrected, you can experience some mild side effects. These side effects may include: blurry vision, glared vision, and/or halos around lights. In rare cases a mild glare or halos around lights can continue after the Ortho-K process but again, that is only in some cases. Regular after-care visits are necessary for the first 3-6 months to ensure that your eyes are healthy and shifting in the proper ways.
How Often do Ortho-K Lenses Need to be Replaced?
The lifespan of Ortho-K lenses is relatively long. The lenses, when taken care of properly, can last up to two or three years. To be on the safe side, it is recommended to replace your lenses every 1-2 years. If you experience changes with your prescription, you may have to replace your lenses more frequently, however. Another thing to mention is that, like I stated above, these lenses are a temporary fix to corneal issues. Once you stop using the molds regularly at night, your eyes will shift back to their origin state as well as refractive error. If you want to have long lasting effects with Ortho-K and maintain improved eyesight, you can use lenses for however long you wish. With this type of process, it is best to seek out an experienced eye care practitioner. Here at Nvision Eyecare in Albany, Auckland, we have the experience, knowledge, and skill in order to safely and effectively practice Ortho-K. Give us a call or contact us through our website in order to gain more information about this process and how you can expect improved vision!
