 |
|||
|
|
  Why haven’t I heard of this before?
Why haven’t I heard of this before? Ortho K has been used in the USA since the 1960’s but the results were variable and unpredictable. The lens could only be worn during the day to gain a few hours of good vision. However, in the last 10 years leaps in manufacturing and computers have made Ortho K very precise and predictable. The great news is that many of the pioneers of the newer techniques are based here in Australia. New lens materials also allow the lens to be worn safely while sleeping to accelerate the effect and allow daytime vision without the lenses being worn.
How quickly does it work?Part of the fitting process includes trialling lenses overnight in order to custom design the best lens for you. A number of overnight trials may be required over a 1 to 4 week period. Once your lenses have been custom designed for you, they take approximately 1 week to manufacture. You should experience a 50 to 70% improvement in your sight after the first night wearing your lenses and you usually achieve good vision all day consistently within 2 weeks.
Are the results permanent if I wear Ortho K for long enough?You need to wear the lenses every night to every second night to maintain the change in corneal shape. Experience and research indicates that your eyes return to normal if you stop wearing the lenses.
Is everybody suitable?Traditionally, the procedure has worked best for you if you are short-sighted (also called myopia - this means you have more difficulties with distance focus), and low levels of astigmatism. However, No Specs is one of the few Australian practices to now offer correction of higher degrees of astigmatism and lonsightedness. So if you need glasses to read or have been previously been told you can’t wear contact lenses, you may be in luck! Ortho K is not suitable for you if you have very high degrees of astigmatism or have keratoconus. However, when one of our team is discussing your vision concerns with you, there may be other vision corrections that you may not have tried before, which could increase your freedom from spectacles. Children can also benefit from Ortho-K. Studies now show that Ortho-K may help slow down changes in prescription for some children. The computerised technology used to fit Ortho-K, often means that we can find a suitable alternative to help correct vision in other ways.
What if I need bifocals?You have a couple of options available to you with No Specs as we are one of the few Australian practices offering Ortho K for longsightedness. We notice that many people over the age of 45 are not given much choice in vision correction, and we find that we are able to offer them more choice to help free them from glasses.
Are they comfortable?This is very little sensation with your eyes closed. While you are awake and your eyes are open there maybe a sensation of lens awareness from interaction of the eyelid with the lens during blinking. This improves rapidly with time, but since Ortho-K lenses are worn during sleep, blinking and lens awareness is generally not a problem anyway.
Is it safe?The latest research demonstrates that modern Ortho K is safe when the lenses are fitted correctly. The lenses are made from high oxygen permeable materials designed to allow overnight wear, but because the lens is worn in the closed eye environment, it is very important that you stick to good hygiene when handling your lenses to avoid infections (but you’d expect that wouldn’t you?). The worst case scenario is an infection that causes a permanent reduction in vision - fortunately this is rare. The latest research indicates that the majority of complications come from dirty cases, incorrect use of disinfecting systems and the dangerous practice of soaking the lenses in plain tap water or saline. Following the advice of your NoSpecs optometrist minimises the risks. You can read how to keep the lenses clean on the hygiene page.
Can I still get laser surgery done later?Yes, the procedure is reversible, simply stop wearing the lens and wear spectacles for several weeks.
What if my prescription changes?Depending on your initial prescription it is very easy to adapt the procedure if your prescription does change.
How Much Does It Cost?It will cost you less than laser surgery and equal or slightly more than some forms of contact lens wear. The costs may vary depending on your prescription. Give us a call on 1300 NO SPECS (1300 66 77 32), and we can discuss your needs in more detail. |
||
|
|||
