what you should expect during ortho-k treatment

What should you expect if your kid is undergoing orthokeratology? Advanced Eyecare Consultants, your local optometrist, gives a quick overview below.

An optometrist will first conduct an eye exam to see if ortho-k treatment is suitable for your child. Children and adolescents with a low level of or no astigmatism would normally be good candidates for ortho-k treatment. If your kid’s a good candidate, the optometrist will then map their cornea using a computer-imaging tool.

Since the cornea doesn’t have any blood vessels, it gets its oxygen from the air. This is the same reason why normal contact lenses can’t be worn overnight—they prevent the cornea from getting enough oxygen. Since ortho-k lenses are gas-permeable, they allow your cornea to, in a sense, breathe and therefore can be worn while sleeping.

However, before your kid puts their ortho-k lenses on, they’ll need to use lubricating eye drops. It’ll take a while before they get used to wearing ortho-k lenses, but it should only take a few days.

Your kid should wait 10 minutes before removing the lenses. After waiting 10 minutes and applying eye drops, they can remove the lenses using a special tool. Your kid will also need to go see your eye doctor again after putting on ortho-k lenses for the first time. The optometrist can also help your kid if they’re having a hard time removing the lenses.

The prescription for your kid’s ortho-k lenses may change as the lenses reshape the cornea and slowly improve your kid’s eyesight. As such, you’ll need to schedule follow-up doctor’s appointments in the coming weeks.

Looking for an eye doctor near your area?

Advanced Eyecare Consultants offer a wide range of professional eye care services. To schedule an appointment, call us at (847) 485-1658 or (847) 680-8484 or contact us here. We serve homeowners in Gurnee and Vernon Hills, IL, as well as the surrounding communities.