What is Myopia?
Myopia (or nearsightedness) is a common vision condition in which close up objects are seen clearly, while objects further away appear blurry. When we spend more time looking at things close up, the eyeball becomes elongated and stretched to compensate for the visual stress.
With the right myopia management plan for your child, progression can be slowed up to 80%.
How does Orthokeratology work?
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is a non-surgical procedure using specially designed contact lenses to gently reshape the cornea while you sleep. While you’re sleeping, the cells of the cornea slowly regenerate and redistribute into the contact lens mold to correct your vision. You’ll wake up with perfect vision every morning. This painless reshaping of the curvature of the eye also corrects mild to moderate nearsightedness and astigmatism.
If you are worried about your child’s eyesight, book a pre-assessment appointment with our doctors today and we can help customize the best solution for your child.
Is Ortho-K Safe?
Ortho-K lenses are safe and completely reversible. Once Ortho-K lenses are discontinued, your child’s eyes will simply go back to their original vision without any adverse effects.
On top of that, ortho-k can slow down and reduce further sight loss in children. So if you’re worried about your child’s eyesight becoming worse and their prescription increasing, research has shown that children under the age of 18 using Ortho-K are able to control and slow down their nearsightedness by up to 80%.
Myopia Management Treatments
Ortho-K/Toric Ortho-K Lenses
Ortho-K Lenses are worn overnight so that by morning you can have clear vision throughout the day. They are safe and entirely reversible, so if you decide to stop using Ortho-K lenses, your eyes will naturally go back to their original shape.
Ideal for:
- Athletic & active people
- People who dislike wearing glasses
- Sensitive and dry eyes
Specialty Multifocal Lenses
Designed to instantly correct distance vision. The technology of these lenses corrects a child’s vision while training the eye to resist elongation. These specialty lenses help reduce eye strain and slow down myopia progression during childhood.
Ideal for:
- Very high prescriptions
- Patients who are not a good candidate for ortho-k
- Patients who have trouble sleeping 8 hours
Specialty Myopia Glasses
A non-invasive solution for kids that is clinically proven to slow down the progression of myopia. Using state-of-the-art design and technology, these myopia glasses redirect light in the wearer’s periphery, reducing myopia progression.
Ideal for:
- Patients who have difficulty using contact lenses
- Grants relief to patients who read or study for long periods of time
Atropine Eye Drops
Atropine eye drops are designed to slow down the progression of myopia by relaxing the muscles in your eye. However, our doctors recommend using this method as a last resort or to be taken together with other previous treatments.
Ideal for:
- Children with worsening eyesight
- Parents with high prescriptions
- Easiest regiment, just one drop per day
Frequently Asked Questions
- Our in-house Medmont topographer, the most accurate topographer on the market, is used to design the orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses
- We are the first optometry office in Vancouver to measure the length of the eyeball, the gold standard of measuring the progression of myopia, setting the precedent for myopia management in the city.
- Our doctors are Fellows or working towards becoming Fellows of International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control. Currently, there are only 150 fellows in the world.
- We treat each patient uniquely, designing a custom plan specifically suited for your child’s needs.
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is a non-surgical procedure that aims to improve your vision while you sleep. Also known as corneal reshaping therapy, Ortho-K lenses are custom designed, rigid, and breathable.
Ortho-K lenses painlessly reshape the cornea by flattening its surface. This allows us to correct mild to moderate nearsightedness and astigmatism. When you remove the lenses in the morning, you will be able to see clearly throughout the day without the aid of glasses or contacts. If you decide to stop using Ortho-K lenses at any point during the plan, your eyes will naturally return to their original shape.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions:
- Has your nearsightedness been getting worse every year?
- Are you looking for an alternative to glasses, daytime contact lenses, or laser refractive surgery?
- Are you unable to wear contact lenses due to allergies?
- Do you live an active lifestyle and prefer playing sports without glasses/daytime lenses?
- Do you often lose their contact lenses/glasses?
You are a candidate for Ortho-K! Book a free consultation today.
Not all ortho-k lenses are created equally. Your experience with ortho-k lenses may differ greatly depending on which clinic you visit. As a result, there is a huge discrepancy in the understanding of how ortho-k lenses fit.
Other clinics carry pre-made lenses, where bygone measurements are taken to fit pre-molded lenses. Thus, those ortho-k lenses are a one-size-fits-all solution. Here at Eyelab, we design our lenses using next generation tear layer profile technology. This provides our ortho-k patients with an accurate, comfortable fit.
Although Ortho-K may sound new, this technology has been around for a long time. In fact, Ortho-K was granted FDA approval in 1994. In 2000, more education and research demonstrated that Ortho-K is an effective treatment to slow myopia. However, Ortho-K is not widely used because few clinics have the technology or training to recommend orthokeratology. But here at Eyelab, we have the technology and staff to help start your Ortho-k treatment today.
All ages can benefit from orthokeratology, including children with progressive myopia. Our average fitting age is between 8-11 years old. Our youngest patient is 5 years old. Teenagers and adults can also benefit from orthokeratology, although people under 40 generally have the most success.
Studies show that Ortho-K treatment can prevent the progression of your child’s nearsightedness. Children under 15 are especially susceptible to myopia, but individuals above 15 have half the rate of myopia progression. This means myopia inflicts the most damage on kids under 15, but also means ortho-k treatment is most effective for them. Your child may also be an especially good candidate if they have a tendency to lose or abuse their contact lenses or glasses, or if wearing them interferes with their active life.
Ortho-K is a safe and reversible procedure. Similar to the risks associated with wearing regular contact lenses, these custom designed rigid lenses can increase the risk of eye infections and cause some discomfort for the first couple of weeks. By following proper disinfection and care procedures, wearing your retainers and coming in for regular progress checkups, these risks can be easily reduced and you will have comfortably fitting ortho-k lenses.
Consult your private insurance provider as coverage may vary. However, a health spending account may offset some costs, but keep in mind MSP does not cover myopia management treatments. Eyelab can help work out a payment plan on a case-by-case basis. Talk to us if you have any questions!
Everything starts with a consultation. Online consultations with our myopia ambassadors are complimentary. In office consultation with one of our doctors at Eyelab will cost $200. During this consultation, we can suggest treatment plans for you depending on your circumstances. From there, you can decide on your next plan of action. Depending on your preferred treatment plan, prices start at $550.
You do not need a referral. Our staff will determine if an online consultation or an in office consultation is appropiate. Our staff will guide you through the process. Please have your updated prescription and your current glasses information handy. If you haven’t had a comprehensive eye exam within the past year, we recommend doing so first.
Eyelab uses state-of-the-art equipment to develop a highly customized and personalized treatment plan for your child. Each child is unique, so each non-invasive treatment will be tailored according to your child’s myopia profile. Our doctors have dedicated many years of training to learning this craft and are certified to provide the best possible care of myopia management for your child. This clinic was built especially for pediatric care in mind.
Ready to try out Ortho-K or
curious to learn more?
Request an appointment and we’d love to help you out!