Corneal Refractive Therapy or Orthokeratology : Reshaping Your Eyes to Improve Vision

What if you could wake up tomorrow morning with improved vision, able to see the sun shining on the trees of Shelby Farms Park, or watch a show at the Orpheum? All without wearing glasses or contact lenses? For some people with mild to moderate vision problems, a treatment called orthokeratology or corneal refractive therapy (often shortened to “OrthoK” or “CRT”) may offer the promise of just such freedom.

OrthoK is generally prescribed for patients with mild to moderate myopia, who are unable or choose not to have laser eye surgery. Over time, the orthokeratology process has been known to produce vision of 20/40 or better, without glasses or contact lenses.

Orthokeratology is the fitting of specially designed contact lenses that are worn when you sleep. Overnight, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of your eye (cornea). When you wake up in the morning and remove the lenses you’ll be able to see more clearly, without the need for eyeglasses or regular contact lenses.

The special contact lenses used in orthokeratology (sometimes called “corneal reshaping contact lenses”) are gas permeable, allowing your eyes to “breath” while the lenses are in place. As you might expect, orthokeratology is a very specialized service, and the proper prescription and fitting of the OrthoK lenses is critical. Dr Shum has been successfully performing OrthoK fittings for nearly a decade, with the experienced doctors and equipment necessary to do the job right.

The effects of OrthoK are temporary, and generally last for one or two days, although in most cases we recommend wearing the OrthoK lenses on a nightly basis. Keep in mind you can always return to wearing prescription contacts or eyeglasses at any time.

When Can We See You?

If you think OrthoK might be a good solution for your vision problems, email us or schedule an appointment with the leading family eyecare providers in Germantown, TN and the surrounding Memphis area.