Orthokeratology is a myopia treatment method that aims to temporarily restore vision by sleeping while wearing special contact lenses. Children should be cautious about this treatment, but it is also recommended for people who are concerned about declining vision.
This page explains the effects of orthokeratology, its advantages and disadvantages, precautions, and lens features.
table of contents
Orthokeratology treatment, costs, advantages and disadvantages
What is orthokeratology?
Orthokeratology treatment involves wearing therapeutic lenses before going to sleep at night to induce changes in the cornea, which will improve your naked eye vision when you wake up in the morning. If done properly, you will be able to go about your daily life with your naked eyes just like everyone else during the day.
Orthokeratology treatment is also expected to have an effect in suppressing the progression of myopia in school-age children. Studies in the 2000s also reported that axial elongation was suppressed in approximately 30-50% of cases.
Flow of orthokeratology treatment
reservation
Please make a reservation at Matsubara Clinic by calling or filling out the form.
inspection
You will be asked to undergo an eye examination. (Time required: Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes)
If there are no problems, you will be given a test lens to wear.
Medical history
Auto-refractometer examination (corneal curvature and refraction examination)
Naked eye vision test (please bring your glasses or contact lenses if you have them)
Corneal topography and special examinations
Slit lamp examination (slit lamp microscopy examination) (observation of the lens, vitreous body, retina, optic nerve, etc.)
Intraocular pressure testing
Corneal endothelial cell test
Lens Order
If the examination indicates that the lenses can be used, we will prescribe orthokeratology lenses that fit the patient and order the lenses.
Acceptance
It takes approximately two weeks to create lenses that are tailored to each individual's eyes, and you can then come and pick them up.
Start wearing
Once the ortho lenses are ready, we will begin wearing them.
inspection
After starting orthodontic treatment, you will undergo regular checkups as instructed by your ophthalmologist (every week, month, or three months).
*If you have an eye disease, treatment will begin once it has fully healed.
About Orthokeratology, a non-surgical vision correction treatment
First of all, the mechanism of myopia is a phenomenon of "refractive error" in which light entering the eye is focused on a point in front of the retina, causing the image to appear blurry. In other words, if the refractive power could be changed so that the light entering the eye fits perfectly onto the retina, myopia would disappear.
Regular contact lenses are vision correction devices that refract light while worn, allowing you to see things more clearly, but the orthokeratology lenses used in orthokeratology are a new treatment device that fixes the cornea firmly while you sleep, and corrects the refractive error by aligning it to a normal shape. Orthokeratology lenses are attached to the eyeball with refractive error, flattening the cornea and correcting the misaligned focus to a normal refraction. Wear them before going to bed and remove them in the morning. The cornea is forced to close, allowing you to spend the day with restored vision.
Orthokeratology treatment costs
| Ortho initial consultation fee (cost) | Around 1,000 yen | |
|---|---|---|
| Ortho lens cost (cost) | One eye | 90,750 yen (tax included) |
| both eyes | 181,500 yen (tax included) | |
*After 3 months, you will have to pay for the examination and eye drops at your own expense. (Not covered by insurance medical treatment)
| Examination fee after 3 months (cost) | Once | 2,200 yen |
|---|---|---|
| Eye drops cost (cost) | 1 month supply | Around 2,000 yen |
Warranty details
We will exchange your lenses for free once within three months if they are damaged or dirty. However, please bring them with you when you receive the product, as the exchange will be with your own lenses. If you lose your damaged or dirty lenses, they will be treated as lost and you will be charged for them.
*In the event of loss, it will not be covered by the warranty (charges apply).
*After the warranty period, the cost of replacing lost ortho lenses will be 35,000 to 60,000 yen per lens.
*If you undergo any tests when repurchasing, an additional examination fee of 2,200 yen will be charged.
*Prices shown include tax unless otherwise specified.
Permanent Effects of Orthokeratology
The degree of vision recovery that can be obtained through orthokeratology varies from person to person. Some small children and young people have been able to maintain good vision even after several days of recovery after undergoing orthokeratology, but the effects of orthokeratology are generally temporary.
[About orthokeratology treatment]
The number of facilities offering orthokeratology treatments is increasing year by year, and many people are being offered the opportunity to improve their eyesight. However, if you are considering undergoing treatment, it is best to choose your ophthalmologist carefully. The contact lenses used in orthokeratology treatment are a special type that are worn while sleeping, so they are very different from regular contact lens prescriptions. Also, if you choose the wrong contact lenses, they may not be effective or may cause serious side effects such as infections. Our clinic has been working on orthokeratology treatment since it was first introduced in Japan, and both our doctors and staff are improving their skills every day. In addition to the doctor's track record, it is also important to find a reliable facility that will properly explain the appropriate tests and treatment policy. If you are looking for orthokeratology eye treatment, please contact Matsubara Clinic, an ophthalmology clinic in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
Benefits of Orthokeratology
Suitable for a wide range of ages from 7 to 60 years old
What makes it attractive is that it is used by a wide range of people, from elementary school students to people of retirement age. Unlike LASIK, there are almost no age restrictions.
They are handled the same as regular hard contact lenses.
The risks are the same
Orthokeratology is treated the same as regular hard contact lenses. No special preparations are required, as commercially available care products are sufficient. It is said that there is little risk to the eyes.
Since it is not surgery, once you stop treatment,
The shape of the cornea can be restored
Orthokeratology does not require surgery because it only changes the shape of the cornea. It does not involve scraping the cornea, so the shape of the cornea will naturally return to its original state if you stop treatment. In other words, it is reversible. If you feel that the lenses are not suitable for you during treatment, you can simply stop wearing them.
You can go without glasses or contact lenses
You can go about your daily life without glasses and enjoy sports without worrying about your vision.
Disadvantages of Orthokeratology
Regular lens wear and
You need to see a doctor regularly
With ICL surgery, you can often get good vision after one surgery, but orthokeratology only changes the shape of the cornea temporarily, so your vision will return to normal if you stop wearing the lenses regularly. Also, you need to be examined by a doctor regularly to check if there are any abnormalities in your eyes, and you need to keep wearing and removing the lenses regularly, which can be considered a disadvantage.
Orthokeratology changes the shape of the cornea, so corneal flexibility has a huge impact on treatment, but this corneal flexibility varies from person to person. And this corneal flexibility is difficult to judge even with modern medical equipment, so in the end, even experienced ophthalmologists cannot know the effect of the treatment until they actually start treatment.
Therefore, even in cases where there is moderate myopia, treatment may not be effective, and conversely, there may be cases where treatment may be effective even in cases of severe myopia. For patients with moderate to severe myopia, most patients achieve good results with orthokeratology, but it is important to remember that there are uncertainties, such as the flexibility of the cornea.
May not be suitable for people with severe myopia or astigmatism
There are limitations to vision correction with orthokeratology, and doctors may not give permission to use it for people with severe myopia or astigmatism. In other words, not everyone can use orthokeratology. Anyone can use glasses, but the fact that there are "restrictions on use" can be considered a kind of disadvantage.
Vision is difficult to stabilize at the beginning of wearing
Immediately after you start wearing them, your vision may not stabilize, so you may find that your vision is sometimes good and sometimes bad depending on the day. The only solution to this is to continue wearing them until your vision stabilizes.
Contact lenses can cause redness, watery eyes, and inflammation.
There may be abnormalities such as
Orthokeratology also uses contact lenses. Of course, there are disadvantages to contact lenses. Since contact lenses come into direct contact with the eyes, there is a certain degree of risk. If you experience any abnormalities such as pain in your eyes, stop wearing them immediately and consult a doctor.
If a child of elementary school age is using orthokeratology, it is important that parents pay close attention to this point and provide proper supervision.
Characteristics of orthokeratology lenses
Orthokeratology lenses, which are lenses used for orthokeratology, have a flattened center. When these lenses are worn, the surface of the cornea is pulled toward the periphery by pressure, which causes the center of the cornea to also flatten, changing the refractive index of light and restoring vision. The design varies slightly depending on the lens manufacturer, but the mechanism itself is the same. The cornea is flexible and has an active metabolism, so its shape is easily changed. Wearing lenses for a long time can cause the cornea to develop a "habit," which allows the shape to be maintained even when the lenses are removed, making this type of treatment possible.
The longer you wear the lenses, the longer the effect of Ortho tends to last. In general, it is said that the effect lasts until around noon the next day for people who wear them for the first time. Although it varies from person to person, some people can go about their daily life completely without glasses during the day after about five days.
*This also depends on the amount of sleep you get and the severity of your myopia.
Points to note about orthokeratology
Since they are slightly larger than hard contact lenses, you will need to practice putting them on and taking them off.
There will be a rough feeling at first, but it will gradually decrease and you will get used to it.
Orthokeratology lenses have a set recommended wearing time.
For example, if the lenses are designed to be worn while sleeping for about six hours a day, wearing them for too long can lead to hyperopia in some cases. Basically, lenses are made to order, so the shape they take when flattened should be consistent, but wearing them for too long can cause the very soft cornea to develop an unnecessarily strong habit, so please be careful.
On the other hand, if you sleep less than 6 hours, the correction may not work well and it may be difficult to maintain the effect for a long time.
If your job requires you to sleep at irregular times or if you have difficulty getting a good night's sleep, please contact us in advance.
Orthokeratology treatment may not be suitable for some people.
Specific examples include: "Those with severe myopia or astigmatism," "Those with severe dry eyes," "Those with disease of the cornea, lens, or retina," "Those who are unable to use the product properly as instructed by a doctor," and "Those with keratoconus or other conditions that a doctor has deemed inappropriate."
As a method to correct myopia in children
Orthokeratology is considered to be a very effective method of correcting myopia in children. In children, the cornea is soft due to the high water content in the body, making it easier to shape with contact lenses. Due to this flexibility of the cornea, children are more likely to maintain good vision for a long time after removing the lenses than adult patients. There are limitations to myopia correction with orthokeratology, and it is difficult for people with severe myopia to fully regain their vision. This "severe myopia" is often found in people over 25 years old whose myopia has progressed to the final stage, and children who have not yet reached that stage have a high chance of regaining their vision with orthokeratology. In this sense, many doctors recommend orthokeratology as a method of correcting myopia in children.
Orthokeratology is a treatment that requires regular checkups.
It is not enough to go to the hospital once and get your lenses prescribed. Orthokeratology is currently an elective medical treatment that is not covered by insurance, so the special "high oxygen permeability contact lenses" used in orthokeratology must be returned to the hospital after use. In other words, rather than purchasing lenses, it is more like having rental lenses made to order. Of course, if you continue with orthokeratology, you will be able to manage and use your orthokeratology lenses yourself until the end of their lifespan.
Sleep on your back
Orthokeratology basically involves wearing special contact lenses while you sleep at night. There is no problem if the special contact lenses are positioned in the center of the pupil while you sleep, but in some cases the special contact lenses may shift from the center of the pupil, reducing their effectiveness by half. This symptom is likely to occur in people who sleep on their stomachs. People who sleep on their stomachs may end up in a position that puts pressure on their eyelids, which causes the position of the orthokeratology contact lenses to move. If you normally sleep on your stomach, we recommend that you correct your position and sleep on your back during your orthokeratology treatment.
Frequently asked questions about orthokeratology treatment, costs, advantages and disadvantages
Who needs orthokeratology?
Children with progressing myopia, athletes, people who need unaided vision for work or to obtain qualifications, and people who normally find contact lenses inconvenient, etc.
How long does it take for the treatment effects to appear?
Although there are individual differences depending on the strength of the myopia or astigmatism, young people with naked eye vision of about 0.3 may be able to recover to about 1.5 during the test wearing time. However, in order to maintain the effect, it is generally necessary to continue wearing the lenses for about a week in order to achieve stable vision. If you continue treatment for several months, you may be able to maintain good vision by wearing the lenses about once every two days.
How long will I need to visit the hospital?
Depending on your condition after taking the medicine, your doctor will give you instructions to undergo regular checkups.
Is there an age limit?
There is no particular age limit. The target age range is from 8 to 60 years old. It is generally said that the younger the age, the more effective the correction.
Is there any risk of blindness or other dangers?
If you follow your doctor's instructions, you shouldn't have any problems.
Is it difficult to handle the lenses?
Although some care is required, they can basically be handled in the same way as regular hard contact lenses.
What should I be careful of?
Because the thickness of the human cornea is limited, there is also a limit to how much the shape of the cornea can be changed with lenses. In addition, there is also a limit to the flexibility of the cornea, so these factors combine to make it the common belief among ophthalmologists that "correcting severe myopia is difficult."
Generally speaking, the limit of correction is a refractive power of about -7D. However, it cannot be said that correction is absolutely impossible, and there are cases where people with severe myopia have been able to achieve good vision without the use of the naked eye. This is because the thickness and flexibility of the cornea differs from person to person.
Is it okay to wear it with the naked eye during the day?
Orthokeratology is a contact lens that can be worn while sleeping at night, so you can wear your bare eyes during the day. If you wear the lenses while sleeping, you do not need to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day. There is no need to use eye drops regularly.
Orthokeratology changes the shape of the cornea by applying pressure to the lenses, so it is most effective when the eyelids are closed, i.e. when sleeping, and so many doctors recommend wearing them while sleeping. This is also related to the fact that there is less chance of dust or foreign objects getting into the eyes while sleeping, which increases safety.
Is it OK to wear them during the day?
Orthokeratology is a treatment method that essentially involves wearing special contact lenses while you sleep at night, so many people think that you should only wear these contact lenses while you sleep at night, but you can wear them in the same way as regular contact lenses.
Of course, you can also wear orthokeratology contact lenses after waking up and remove them when you get home. After removing the lenses, your vision should recover in the same way as after wearing orthokeratology contact lenses while you sleep at night.
What are the risks compared to wearing regular contact lenses during the day?
The risk of damage to eye tissues such as the cornea and conjunctiva is thought to be lower than with regular use of high oxygen permeable hard contact lenses. As for vision, depending on how the lenses are worn while sleeping (they may be pushed slightly out of place by the pillow, or, although very rare, the lenses may come off while sleeping), it is possible that you may not be able to see well the next day, so the risk is thought to be slightly higher than with glasses or contact lenses.
How long will the naked eye last?
The effect of orthokeratology correction varies from person to person and depends on the amount of sleep and the strength of myopia. The cornea is a very soft and delicate tissue, so the correction will gradually correct over time. The duration of orthokeratology refers to the period during which the cornea is corrected. In general, the longer you wear the lenses, the longer the effect will tend to last.
Does it only work for myopia?
The main correction effect is still myopia, but it can be expected to have a sufficient correction effect for mild astigmatism. However, unfortunately, it has no effect on hyperopia.
Are there cases where orthokeratology is not effective?
Even if you continue treatment, there are very rare cases where the expected results are not obtained. Also, if the cornea does not correct well, the treatment will be stopped, but there is no need to worry because the eye will return to its original state soon.
What is the lifespan?
The average lifespan is said to be around 3 years.
Is orthokeratology dangerous for children?
The risks are not that different from regular contact lenses. If you do not keep the lenses clean, there is a risk of corneal infections.
Can orthokeratology be used for severe myopia?
Orthokeratology is not suitable for people with severe myopia. It is a treatment method used when myopia and astigmatism are relatively mild, and the general rule is that myopia should be reduced to -4.00D and astigmatism should be reduced to -1.50D or less. However, there are individual differences, such as the softness of the cornea, so please have a medical examination.
Can I stop orthokeratology midway?
Unlike LASIK, orthokeratology can be stopped midway through. The cornea usually returns to its pre-treatment state within about two weeks to one month.
Can orthokeratology be deducted as a medical expense?
Yes, orthokeratology is eligible for medical expense deductions.
