The Treatment of Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is the use of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses, normally worn only at night, to improve vision through the reshaping of the cornea. This method can be used as an alternative to eyeglasses, refractive surgery, or for those desiring to not wear contact lenses during the day.

The idea of correcting vision by reshaping the cornea has been around for a while. Doctors discovered the reshaping phenomena of glass lenses as early as the 1940s. George Jessen created what was probably the first orthokeratology design in the 1960s made from PMMA material, which he marketed as "Orthofocus". These early designs had generally unpredictable results, leading to the belief that applied orthokeratology was more art or luck than science.

                  

Not until new measuring instruments and computers were available was it possible to apply the theory to create designs with repeatable results. Many groups and individuals claim to have been the first to develop modern orthokeratology solutions. But Dr. Richard Wlodyga, in particular, is generally credited with developing the first reverse zone lens design in the 1980s. In 2004 the FDA approved a number of ortho-k designs for overnight wear,

                   including designs from Contex ("Contex OK-E"), Euclid Systems ("Emerald")and C&E GP Specialists ("Fargo"). 2005 saw additional FDA approvals, as manufacturers raced to bring orthokeratology to American consumers. However, nightwear ortho-k solutions were available to consumers in many countries outside the US much earlier as a result of different regulatory controls and bodies.

It is presumed that the lenses used in orthokeratology reshape the cornea by moving the epithelial cells that cover the surface of the cornea. Some studies indicate that the epithelial cells are compressed in some areas as well as relocated. This method can be used as an alternative to eyeglasses, refractive surgery, or for those desiring to not wear contact lenses during the day.

The idea of correcting vision by reshaping the cornea has been around for a while. Doctors discovered the reshaping phenomena of glass lenses as early as the 1940s. George Jessen created what was probably the first orthokeratology design in the 1960s made from PMMA material, which he marketed as "Orthofocus". The idea of correcting vision by reshaping the cornea has been around for a while. Doctors discovered the reshaping phenomena of glass lenses as early as the 1940s. George Jessen created what was probably the first orthokeratology design in the 1960s made from PMMA material, which he marketed as "Orthofocus"