Orthokeratology Services

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At Katy Myopia Control Center, Dr. Xu Li and our entire Katy optometry team are committed to providing advanced vision care in a professional and comfortable environment. As an orthokeratologist in Katy, our primary eye care service includes a complete eye exam that analyzes eye health and vision function to see if orthokeratology is right for you, and then if it is fit you for orthokeratology lenses and monitor your vision correction.

Orthokeratology Exams

            Orthokeratology, also commonly referred to as Ortho-K or CR (for corneal reshaping), is a procedure to correct for myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. This procedure is far less invasive than most and has even been shown to slow down myopia progression. Patients using the orthokeratology procedure wear gas permeable lenses at night in order to reshape their cornea and improve their vision. Ortho-K is most comparable to wearing braces, but to correct your eyes and not your teeth. Patients will receive lenses specifically molded to their eyes, and will wear them nightly to gradually improve their vision. The lens will reshape your cornea as you sleep, so that during the day your vision will be improved and you can start seeing clearly without corrective contact lenses or glasses during the day.

            Patients should set up an appointment at an orthokeratologist's office to discuss the possibility of using orthokeratology. First, the wellness and overall health of your eyes is assessed by looking at your retina and the outside of your eye. When it is determined ortho-k is right for you, the topography and size of your cornea will be measured by computerized corneal mapping. This measurement, along with your prescription, will help create the mold of your cornea, which will be used to make lenses specifically molded to you. When you receive your lenses the fit to your cornea will be evaluated, and you will learn how to insert, remove, and clean your new lenses. The next day, after you have worn your lenses for a night, you will come back in for your cornea to be reevaluated and mapped once again. Vision may also be slightly different between morning, afternoon, and evening for the first couple of days as the cornea adjusts to the new shape. You will come back in as the treatment continues to assess the reshaping of your cornea. Treatment length will vary for each patient, and lenses may be modified at times in order for you to achieve your goal of perfect vision. 

            Orthokeratology is for individuals who want to eliminate their need for eyeglasses or contacts, and not take the risk of having surgery. Ortho-K is best for near sighted individual’s under 40 years old with a mild prescription of -4 diopters or less. The success rate is higher for those with a mild prescription. 65% of patients achieve 20/20 vision after treatment, and 90% of patients achieve 20/40 vision. Ortho-K is also a great alternative for individuals who are much too young for surgery such as Lasik. Orthokeratology may not be best for individuals with dry eyes, large pupil size, or high myopia. If you think that you are interested in orthokeratology as a treatment for your myopia, then you should schedule a consultation to see if you are a candidate.