What Is Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)?
Orthokeratology, usually shortened to ortho-K, uses specially designed rigid contact lenses that are worn overnight. While you sleep, the lenses gently flatten the front surface of the cornea. In the morning you take them out, and for the rest of the day your vision is clearer without glasses or daytime contacts. It is one way some eye doctors manage nearsightedness (myopia), and some families look into it as a way to slow myopia in children.
One thing to know up front: Vision Palace Optical does not offer ortho-K. We wrote this page because parents often ask us about it, and we want you to have a straight answer. If you're looking for myopia control for your child, we offer three other options, described below (we see children ages 6 and up).
How Corneal Reshaping Works
The cornea is the clear front window of the eye, and its curve does much of the eye's focusing. In a nearsighted eye, light focuses in front of the retina instead of on it. An ortho-K lens is shaped so that, worn overnight, it reshapes the central cornea slightly and moves that focus point back.
The effect is temporary. The cornea gradually returns to its original shape when the lenses are not worn, so ortho-K only keeps working with regular overnight wear. It does not cure myopia, and stopping the lenses brings the original prescription back.
What Ortho-K Involves
Ortho-K is overnight contact lens wear, which makes lens care and follow-up especially important. Patients typically need:
- A specialized fitting, with measurements of the shape of the cornea, and adjustments until the lens fits correctly.
- Strict lens hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting the lenses and case exactly as instructed, every day.
- Regular follow-up visits, so the eye doctor can check the cornea and the fit.
Any contact lens worn overnight carries a risk of eye infection, which is why careful hygiene and follow-up matter. If you are considering ortho-K with another provider, ask how they handle fitting, follow-up and what to do if an eye becomes red or painful.
Myopia Control Options at Vision Palace Optical
For children whose nearsightedness is getting worse, we offer three options instead of ortho-K. Results vary from child to child.
Stellest spectacle lenses. Stellest lenses by Essilor look and wear like regular glasses. In Essilor's two-year clinical study, Stellest lenses slowed myopia progression by 67% on average compared with standard single-vision lenses, when worn full-time.
MiSight 1 day contact lenses. These are daily disposable soft contact lenses FDA-approved to slow the progression of myopia in children who start treatment at ages 8 to 12. Your child wears a fresh pair during the day and throws them away at night, so there is no overnight wear and no lens case to manage. They need a contact lens fitting first.
Atropine eye drops. A prescription option. The doctor prescribes the drops and explains how and when to use them, and your child keeps wearing regular glasses or contacts to see clearly.
Which option fits your child depends on their prescription, age, comfort with contacts and your family's routine. We talk it through at your child's comprehensive eye exam. Read more in our guide to myopia control for kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vision Palace Optical offer ortho-K?
No. We do not fit orthokeratology (ortho-K or corneal reshaping) lenses. For myopia control, we offer Stellest spectacle lenses (children ages 6 and up), MiSight 1 day contact lenses (FDA-approved to slow the progression of myopia in children who start treatment at ages 8 to 12) and atropine eye drops.
Is ortho-K permanent?
No. Ortho-K reshapes the cornea temporarily. The cornea returns toward its original shape when the lenses are not worn, so the effect lasts only with regular overnight wear.
How is ortho-K different from MiSight 1 day lenses?
Ortho-K lenses are rigid lenses worn overnight and removed in the morning. MiSight 1 day lenses are soft lenses worn during the day and thrown away each night. Both are contact lens approaches to myopia, but the routines are very different. We fit MiSight 1 day; we do not fit ortho-K.
My child can't wear contact lenses. What are the options?
Stellest spectacle lenses are worn like regular glasses, and atropine eye drops are used alongside regular glasses or contacts. Either can be an option for a child ages 6 and up who isn't ready for contacts.
What age do you see children for myopia control?
We see children ages 6 and up. If your child's prescription has been getting stronger each year, bring it up at their next eye exam.
Have questions about myopia control for your child? Book an eye exam at Vision Palace Optical through Zocdoc or call us at (718) 998-8400. We're at 1723 Avenue U in Brooklyn, open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm.