By Chase Antunes

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Better Vision Overnight Without Surgery: How Ortho-K works

Jan 28, 2025 | 4:03 AM

If ditching your prescription glasses without surgery sounds like a dream come true, Ortho-K might be for you.

Ortho-K contact lenses use technology designed to help you see without corrective lenses or surgery. “It’s a pretty cool treatment for things like myopia or astigmatism,” said Dr. Mark Langer of IRIS Optometrists and Opticians. “This is an awesome option to get out of glasses or contacts without having to go through a permanent treatment like laser surgery.”

Worn only while you sleep, Ortho-K lenses reshape the corneal surfaces overnight. The temporary vision correction means the patient doesn’t need to wear glasses during the day.

Ortho-K can be an excellent option for youth whose prescription is getting stronger every year. Dr. Langer explained that the treatment can slow myopia progression in a way that glasses and traditional contacts don’t.

The lenses are ideal for people with a low- to mid-strength prescription. Vision can still be improved for those with a very strong prescription or high level of astigmatism. In those cases, it could mean the chance to switch from glasses with thick, heavy lenses to much thinner ones that are more comfortable and functional.

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So how does Ortho-K work? Dr. Langer has Orthokeratology training certification and explained the science that happens while you sleep wearing these lenses.

The outer cornea is mainly composed of water, so essentially the treatment uses hydroelastic forces. The lens compresses in some areas and gently pulls in other areas.

“Essentially what you’re doing is flattening the cornea. That’s the exact same thing that laser surgery does for near-sighted individuals when lasers are used to reshape the cornea. Now with this lens, we are reshaping it temporarily but in a really safe way where you don’t have dry eyes or other long-term side effects.”

By the end of the day, the cornea has somewhat rebounded, which is why the lenses need to be worn again that night for vision correction the following day.

As innovative as it may sound, the technology isn’t new. The first Ortho-K lenses were introduced more than 20 years ago. Dr. Langer says the treatment is well-tested and that its efficacy and safety is well documented.

The process starts with a comprehensive eye exam. Checking various parameters ensures the patient is a good candidate for the specialty lenses. “We take very careful measurements and topographies of the surface of the eye. And then if the patient is interested, we move forward with a fitting of the lens shortly thereafter.”

To learn more about Ortho-K, you can call IRIS in the Village Green Shopping Center, or book online at iris.ca.