Everything You Need to Know About Ortho-K Contact Lenses

Everything You Need to Know About Ortho-K Contact Lenses

If you’ve ever wished for clear vision without glasses, daytime contact lenses, or surgery—Ortho-K (Orthokeratology) might be exactly what you’re looking for. This innovative, non-invasive treatment not only provides freedom from daytime eyewear but also plays a powerful role in managing myopia progression in children.

As eye care professionals passionate about long-term visual health, we’re proud to offer Ortho-K as a safe, clinically proven alternative for both adults and children.

What Is Ortho-K?

Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, involves the use of specially designed rigid gas-permeable contact lenses that are worn overnight to gently reshape the curvature of the cornea (the clear front surface of your eye). This reshaping adjusts how light enters the eye, correcting short-sightedness (myopia) by improving the focus onto the retina.

When you wake up and remove the lenses, the reshaped cornea provides clear, unaided vision throughout the day.

It's completely non-surgical, safe, and fully reversible—perfect for individuals who want a less permanent alternative to procedures like LASIK.

How Ortho-K Works: The Science Behind It

The cornea helps bend and focus light rays onto the retina to create clear vision. In myopia, the eye grows too long or the cornea is too steep, causing light to focus in front of the retina, resulting in blurry distance vision.

Ortho-K lenses are customised to gently flatten the central cornea overnight, reducing the eye’s focusing power to correct this issue. The change in corneal shape is subtle—only a few microns—but enough to significantly improve vision.

These effects last for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the individual. Most people wear the lenses nightly to maintain the vision correction.

Ortho-K and Myopia Control in Children

One of the most compelling benefits of Ortho-K is its proven ability to slow down the progression of myopia in children and teens.

Studies consistently show that Ortho-K can reduce the rate of myopia progression by 30–60% compared to traditional glasses or standard contact lenses. This is crucial because higher levels of myopia are associated with greater lifetime risk of serious eye conditions such as:

  • Retinal detachment

  • Myopic macular degeneration

  • Glaucoma

  • Cataracts

By reducing how quickly a child’s myopia progresses, Ortho-K helps protect their long-term eye health.

Who Can Benefit from Ortho-K?

Ortho-K is suitable for a wide range of patients, particularly:

  • Children aged 6 and up with progressing myopia

  • Teenagers who want freedom from glasses during sports and school

  • Adults with mild to moderate short-sightedness (up to around -6.00D)

  • Individuals with dry eyes who struggle with daytime contact lenses

  • People who want visual freedom without undergoing laser eye surgery

It’s especially helpful for active individuals, such as swimmers, runners, and footballers, who find glasses or soft lenses inconvenient during the day.

The Ortho-K Fitting Process

Ortho-K lenses are completely bespoke. That means they are carefully crafted to match the shape and measurements of your cornea. Here's what you can expect from your Ortho-K journey with us:

  1. Initial Assessment & Eye Health Examination
    A comprehensive eye test is conducted to check your prescription, overall eye health, and suitability for Ortho-K.

  2. Corneal Topography Mapping
    We use advanced technology to take a detailed 3D scan of your cornea. This allows us to design lenses specifically for your eye shape.

  3. Lens Fitting & Trial
    Once the lenses are made, you’ll try them on in practice and receive training on insertion, removal, and cleaning.

  4. First Overnight Wear
    After your first night sleeping in Ortho-K lenses, we’ll assess your vision the following morning and make any necessary adjustments.

  5. Follow-Up Appointments
    Regular check-ups ensure the lenses are working as intended and that your cornea remains healthy.

Are the Results Permanent?

No—Ortho-K is completely reversible. If you stop wearing the lenses, your corneas gradually return to their original shape and your vision reverts to its prior state. This makes Ortho-K an excellent non-permanent alternative to laser vision correction, especially for young patients.

Cost and Value

While Ortho-K lenses are more expensive upfront than standard lenses or glasses, the benefits they offer in terms of vision freedom and long-term myopia control are unmatched. We also offer support, care, and fittings as part of a comprehensive package to ensure safe and successful wear.

Our team will always talk you through the expected costs, follow-ups, and lens replacement timelines clearly and transparently.

Is Ortho-K Safe?

Yes—when properly fitted and worn under professional guidance, Ortho-K is a safe and well-established treatment. Like any contact lens, good hygiene and regular follow-up care are essential to minimise risks of infection or discomfort.

Our optometrists are highly trained in myopia management and contact lens fitting, and we’re here to support you throughout your Ortho-K journey.

Ready to Explore Ortho-K? Book a Consultation

If you're interested in whether Ortho-K is right for you or your child, we’d love to help. At Andrew & Rogers Optometrists, we offer detailed assessments and tailored treatment plans for every patient.

Call us today or book an appointment online to take the first step towards clear, comfortable, and glasses-free vision—day after day.

Andrew & Rogers Optometrists – Experts in vision, advocates for eye health.

Andrew Scott