OrthoK Therapy
Transforming Vision Correction
in Houston

Orthokeratology, commonly known in the Houston area as OrthoK, offers a groundbreaking non-surgical solution for those seeking to live free from glasses or daytime contact lenses, and it's a specialty of Pediatric Eye Clinic.

This innovative approach leverages therapeutic lenses to gently reshape the cornea overnight, promising clear, sharp vision upon waking. Favored for its safety and efficiency, OrthoK has been particularly successful in correcting a wide range of visual impairments, including near-sightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia, providing a compelling alternative to LASIK.

What sets OrthoK apart, especially at Pediatric Eye Clinic, is its adaptability for both adults and children in Houston, Texas, making it a preferred choice for non-surgical vision correction. Our clinic's commitment to advanced OrthoK techniques ensures personalized care, tailoring treatment to each patient's unique needs, thereby supporting optimal visual health and lifestyle freedom.

When vision becomes blurred or distorted due to the eye's length or an irregularly shaped surface, images cannot properly focus on the retina. At Pediatric Eye Clinic, we address these issues by precisely mapping the surface of your eyes with advanced technology, such as a topographer.

This crucial step allows us to design a therapeutic lens tailored to your eye's specific visual needs, employing Ortho-K lenses crafted from a highly oxygen-permeable material. This material not only facilitates overnight corneal reshaping but also ensures your eye's health by allowing it to "breathe."

The unique design of the Ortho-K lens features specialized curves that gently and effectively reshape the cornea, the eye's front surface. As you sleep, the tear film beneath the lens dynamically works to sculpt the cornea into an optimal shape, ensuring that images are focused directly onto the retina. By the time you wake and remove the lenses, you're greeted with crisp, clear vision.

This innovative approach, available at Pediatric Eye Clinic in Houston, Texas, offers a safe and efficient solution for correcting vision issues without surgery, promising a newfound clarity from the moment your day begins.

Ortho-K therapy at Pediatric Eye Clinic harnesses a sophisticated process to correct blurred or distorted vision resulting from the eye's irregular shape.

Initially, a topographer meticulously maps the eye's surface, setting the stage for the creation of a bespoke Ortho-K lens tailored to address each eye's unique contours and visual challenges.

Crafted on high-precision, computer-assisted lathes, these lenses are composed of an advanced, highly oxygen-permeable material, ensuring your eyes receive essential breathability throughout the night.

The magic of Ortho-K unfolds as you sleep; the lens employs multiple specialized curves to gently reform the cornea's shape. A dynamic tear film beneath the lens works overnight, fine-tuning the corneal contour. This precise reshaping allows light to focus directly onto the retina, eliminating blurriness or distortion.

Upon awakening and removing the lenses, you're greeted with sharp, clear vision. This innovative approach, offered exclusively at Pediatric Eye Clinic in Houston, Texas, epitomizes non-surgical vision correction, delivering remarkable visual clarity from the moment you start your day.

Orthokeratology, a method first developed over forty years ago to correct nearsightedness, has evolved significantly, embracing technological advancements.

Despite this evolution, the procedure has acquired various names, yet all refer to the same vision-correcting technique.

Known also as Ortho-K, Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), Vision Shaping Technology (VST), Accelerated Orthokeratology (AOK), Gentle Vision Shaping System (GVSS), Gentle Molding, and Overnight Corneal Reshaping (OCR), these terminologies might suggest slight variations in methodology, but they all reside under the broad umbrella of Orthokeratology.

At Pediatric Eye Clinic, it's important for our patients in Houston to understand that regardless of the terminology used, the essence remains consistent: utilizing therapeutic lenses overnight to reshape the cornea.

This innovative process ensures that patients can enjoy clear vision throughout the day, free from the need for glasses or contact lenses.

This unified goal underpins the diverse nomenclature of Orthokeratology, demystifying the process and highlighting its singular purpose: to provide a non-surgical solution for clear vision.

It can take from one to four weeks to achieve excellent vision. However, some people achieve this in as little as one day. The speed depends in part on your initial prescription.

During the first few days of the Ortho-K process while your cornea is being resculpted, your doctor may fit you with a temporary soft contact until excellent vision is achieved.

Is It Safe? Ortho-K is a very safe and reversible procedure. It was approved by the FDA in 2002. However, as with any contact lens wear, there is a small risk, most typically a minor infection easily addressed by antibiotic drops.

This risk is greatly minimized by adopting a regime of very careful cleaning and disinfecting, by wearing the lenses as prescribed by your doctor and by maintaining the necessary progress visits.

Ortho-K, recognized for its safety and reversibility, received FDA approval in 2002, offering a reliable non-surgical solution for vision correction.

While exceedingly safe, akin to standard contact lens usage, it carries a minimal risk of minor infections, typically manageable with antibiotics.

At Pediatric Eye Clinic, we underscore the importance of meticulous cleaning and sterilization practices, along with strict adherence to your doctor's guidance, to minimize any such risks.

Our commitment in Houston is to ensure every patient experiences the benefits of Ortho-K safely, maintaining eye health and achieving clear vision through this advanced and effective treatment.

Over the past quarter-century, the incidence of myopia among children has surged, with projections suggesting that by 2020, half of the global population might be affected.

This significant increase is partly attributed to increased indoor activities such as studying, reading, and computer use, as opposed to outdoor play. Recognizing the gravity of this trend, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now classifies progressive myopia as an epidemic.

While myopia impairs vision, its greater concern lies in the potential for severe, sight-threatening conditions, including retinal detachments and glaucoma. The risk escalates with early onset of myopia, often leading to high levels of nearsightedness.

At Pediatric Eye Clinic, located in Houston, we're dedicated to addressing this growing concern. Through early intervention and innovative treatments like OrthoK, we aim to not only correct vision but also prevent the advancement of myopia, safeguarding the eye health of our younger patients.

Dr. Pedro Gomez at Pediatric Eye Clinic specializes in Orthokeratology, a medical treatment that enhances vision without the need for surgery.

This completely reversible, non-surgical procedure reshapes the cornea, enabling children, adolescents, and adults to enjoy improved vision without the reliance on glasses or contact lenses.

Often considered an excellent alternative to Lasik, Ortho-K offers a promising option for those seeking myopia control. Contact Pediatric Eye Clinic today to schedule an appointment and discover if your child could be a candidate for this transformative treatment.