Orthok!

OrthoK!, short for Orthokeratology, is a non-surgical procedure using specially designed contact lenses to gently reshape the curvature of the eye to improve vision. This revolutionary procedure eliminates the need for glasses or daytime contact lenses. It improves vision by gently reshaping your eye WHILE YOU SLEEP using specially designed therapeutic contact lenses. You just put the specialty fitted lenses in at bedtime and when you awake, you will have clear, sharp, natural vision for your waking hours.  ORTHOK! is also promising treatment for childhood myopia (nearsightedness).  In fact, studies have shown ORTHOK! slowed, and in some cases, stopped the progression of myopia in young patients. The CANDY plan (Controlling Astigmatism and Nearsightedness in Developing Youth) introduces families of myopic children to idea of ORTHOK! treatment.

Dr. Robins has been successfully treating patients with ORTHOK! for over ten years.  Make an appointment today to find out more.

  Myopia is a progressive visual disorder that results in poor distance vision. If the myopia is severe, it will impair near vision as well. Myopia is also known as "near-sighted" or "short-sighted." In addition to weakening vision, it also changes the physical structure of the eye. It can steepen the front surface of the eye (cornea) and/or stretch the retina (axial elongation). These changes increase the risk of future eye disease. It is one of the leading causes of blindness around the world and has a direct association with retinal detachments and glaucoma.

Myopia and its progressive disorders can cause abnormal or adverse ocular changes. High myopia may cause thinning and weakening of the retina (the thin membrane at the back of the eye that contains the rods and cones). Abnormal stretching or elongation of the eye may pull on the vitreous (the gel substance that fills the eye) which in turn pulls on the retina leading to its detachment. A detached retina can lead to blindness. This elongating process can also cause "lattice-like" holes to occur in the peripheral retina. These holes can allow fluid to seep under the retina-- lifting and detaching it. Again, possibly leading to a permanent loss of sight.
Moderate to high myopic people are twice as likely to develop glaucoma. (Mitchell 2000). Further, the detection of myopia is much more difficult due to the deforming of the optic nerve head as a result of ocular elongation. The optic nerve head is one of the structures closely examined for changes due to glaucoma. It is difficult to determine if the changes are due to myopic stretching or glaucoma.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) projects 2.5 billion nearsighted people by year 2020. Approximately 80% of elementary students in Singapore are myopic.  90% of college students in China are nearsighted.

• The National Institutes of Health reports that in 1972, the frequency of myopia was 25% in U.S. individuals aged 12 to 54. By 2004, it had increased to 41.6%. (Roan,2010).

• In 2004 approximately 26% of all people living in the U.S. and Europe were myopic.

• The incidence of myopia in "hunter-gatherer" societies where children perform little near work, is about 1%.