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Advanced Orthokeratology

Myopia risks Fitcroft 2012

Orthokeratology

  • All Day Freedom From Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
  • Safely Stop or Slowdown Nearsightedness in Children
  • Available for Both Children and Adults
  • A Non-Surgical Alternative to LASIK

Ortho K in New York City & Scarsdale
Now there is an alternative to glasses and daytime contact lenses without surgery

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We are introducing AOK Advanced orthokeratology. An advanced procedure that gently reshapes the cornea while you sleep.

Eye Q Optometrist is New York’s leader in Ortho-K

Dr. Abraham Zlatin has over 20 years of experience treating Childhood Myopia with Advanced Orthokeratology in New York City. He is a fellowship-trained and board member of the American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control.

There are several names for orthokeratology, but the overall concept is the same. Some of the names are Wave Night Lens, corneal refractive therapy (CRT® ), corneal refractive treatment, vision shaping treatment® (VST), and overnight vision correction (OVC). The difference between them is the actual design and how customizable the procedure is. AOK includes all of the different systems available. This program allows for the best possible results for each unique patient.

Dr. Abraham Zlatin is a WAVE Night Lens Designer. With two decades of experience designing specialty OrthoK molds. This is today’s most advanced method of fitting orthokeratology for both adults and children.

Fingers Framing Eyes 1280x853Ideal Ortho-K Candidates

It is essential to keep in mind that only a qualified licensed eye care practitioner can diagnose and determine the best treatment option that is right for you.

  • Children and adults who are active and involved in sports
  • Patients looking for an alternative to LASIK surgery
  • Patients who are too young for LASIK surgery
  • Patients who want to correct their myopia without the use of traditional daytime contacts or glasses
  • Children whose parents want a chance to slow and possibly prevent the progression of their myopia
  • Patients who have difficulties wearing regular contact lenses because of dry eyes or allergies

How AOK Works

AOK overnight procedure is designed to gently reshape the first few microns of the cornea while you sleep. Once you remove the molds in the morning, your eyesight is clear. The slight change in the curvature of the corneal surface results in clear vision. During waking hours the dependence on daytime contact lenses or glasses is reduced or eliminated.

The best part about AOK is that it is safe, non-surgical, non-invasive, and reversible.

AOK for Athletes and Active lifestyles

No matter what level of sports you or your child are involved in, you want the best vision as possible. Additionally, glasses are a hindrance for any sports enthusiast. Whether it is professional or recreational sports. Traditional daytime contact lenses are often irritating and inconvenient.

Too young or looking for an alternative to LASIK

Surgical vision correction offers the convenience of not having to wear contact lenses or glasses. But, it is not for everybody.

  • Like any surgery, there is no guarantee of a perfect outcome with LASIK or other vision correction procedures.

  • There are risks of complications from LASIK and other vision correction procedures. Possible complications include glare and halos around lights. Persistent dry eyes and reduced vision and contrast sensitivity may result.

  • You must be over 18 for most surgical vision correction procedures. Age eliminates LASIK and related surgeries as options for younger athletes.

Advanced Orthokeratology, on the other hand, is safe, non-surgical, non-invasive and reversible. AOK is so safe that many orthokeratologists are comfortable performing corneal refractive therapy for children as young as five years old.

Additionally, AOK is ideal for athletes who are too young for LASIK. Advanced Orthokeratology can give them good, uncorrected vision for sports throughout their school years.

Advanced Orthokeratology is reversible. When a child reaches the age of 25, they have the option of discontinuing their treatment. Several weeks later their nearsightedness or astigmatism returns. They then may have LASIK surgery if they no longer want to wear AOK molds overnight.

Family 140541217Correcting Myopia (nearsightedness)

Otherwise known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, myopia is a condition in which your near vision is clear but distant objects appear blurred to an uncorrected eye. This blur is due to the eyeball elongating as we grow during early adolescence. The result is, light entering the eye is focused in front of the retina rather than directly on it.

Using AOK Advanced Orthokeratology therapy to gently reshape the cornea re-aligns the focal point onto the retina. Now patients with nearsighted prescriptions see well all day.

Myopic – Nearsightedness Prevention

In addition to AOK therapy providing nearly immediate results in correcting myopia, several studies also indicate that it helps prevent myopia from worsening in the future.

Traditionally, glasses and conventional daytime contact lenses have been prescribed to correct myopia. However, for children, and many adults, this correction does not prevent their vision from worsening over time thus requiring stronger prescription lenses to achieve the necessary level of correction.

Benefits for Nearsighted Children

Since myopia is often diagnosed at an early age and progressively worsens until late adolescence, early AOK treatment offers a proven, reasonable method to alter the progression of myopia from increasing over time. Controlling myopia is vital because, if left untreated, high levels of myopia (nearsightedness) may also create increased risks for other eye diseases such as glaucoma and detached retinas.

By wearing AOK molds (Advanced Orthokeratology), you or your child now have an alternative to glasses or daytime contact lenses that may correct your myopia and prevent nearsightedness progression.

Children tolerate AOK molds well because their eyes are closed providing less lid sensation. Additionally, since they will be sleeping in their molds, they will not have to wear corrective lenses during the day. Now they can participate in a variety of activities, including sports, without worrying about glasses or contacts.

Orthokeratology Solution for Dry Eyes and Allergies

Dry eye syndrome has become increasingly prevalent over the past ten years as people spend more time indoors where air-conditioning systems remove moisture from the air. Additionally, the substantially greater time spent staring at PCs, TVs, smart-phones and gaming devices reduces blink rates by up to 80% thus dramatically reducing tear flow to the surface of the eyes. Other common causes of dry eye include the aging process, wearing contact lenses, hormone levels, menopause, birth control, diabetes, environmental factors like allergies, wind, and dry climate, medications, and heavy computer usage. Thus dry eye syndrome has become one of the most common eye health issues and led to the development of a significant market for proposed remedies, yet it is unclear that any one product offers the best solution.

Additionally, increasing numbers of people are affected by allergies including the seasonal effects of hay fever which can make it almost impossible to continue wearing daytime contact lenses. AOK therapy for dry eye patients may offer a new solution since corneal refractive therapy molds are only worn overnight when sleeping then removed the next morning to give clear natural vision all day long.

Since AOK molds are only worn at night while you sleep, dry eye and allergy sufferers may experience relief due to unrestricted tear flow during waking hours.

Kids

This is what glasses look like after AOK

Additional Corneal Refractive Therapy Options for Hyperopic and Presbyopic Patients:

While AOK therapy is ideal for the nearsighted patient, they are also available for other patients. Advanced Orthokeratology also effectively treat patients with Hyperopia (farsightedness) and Presbyopia (the need for reading glasses).

If you have either of these conditions, we may still be able to correct your vision with AOK. After a thorough eye examination, Dr. Abraham Zlatin will be able to outline the best options for you.

Orthokeratology Precautions

There is a small risk involved when any contact lens is worn. Expectations are that AOK molds for corneal refractive therapy will not provide a concern that is greater than other contact lenses. There were no serious adverse events reported to the FDA in clinical studies.

Only after a thorough eye exam by a licensed physician / orthokeratologist can it be determined if corneal refractive therapy may benefit you. There are no guarantees that any specific treatment will work for all patients. Reduction for any individual patient’s myopia may vary depending on that patient’s corneal variables, and overall results may differ so ask Dr. Zlatin if AOK therapy is right for you or your child.

  • Orthokeratology, also known as “ortho-k”, is a safe and effective method of correcting vision while slowing the progression of myopia in children. If you are the parent of a nearsighted child, learn how ortho-k can also help preserve your child’s eye health.
  • Orthokeratology research has been going on for the past 20 years. We have collected some of the most recent scientific studies supporting orthokeratology and confirming the positive results in using ortho-k in myopia management. You can find links to some of the more significant articles on this page.
  • Eyeglasses and standard contact lenses help children and teens with myopia (nearsightedness) see better, but do nothing to slow myopia’s progression. In contrast, orthokeratology (ortho-k) slows down myopia using custom-fitted gas-permeable contact lenses designed to be worn overnight.
  • Vision Correction is used to correct refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (when light enters the eye incorrectly), or presbyopia (farsightedness due to aging). Read on to learn all about surgery-free vision correction.
  • Ortho-k contact lenses are among the finest contact lenses on the market, made with superior quality materials and completely personalized to each eye for an exclusively customized visual experience. Their cost, while higher than standard lenses, are worth it in the long run. Here's why.
  • A comprehensive explanation of the mechanics of ortho-k.