Ortho-K and Invisalens
What Is Ortho-K?
Ortho-K, short for orthokeratology, is a custom rigid gas permeable lens worn only during sleep. Overnight it reshapes the front surface of the cornea so light focuses correctly, giving clear daytime vision without glasses or contact lenses.
In short
A lens you sleep in. Clear vision the next day. Nothing permanent, nothing surgical.
The cornea is the clear dome at the front of the eye and it does most of the focusing work. In a nearsighted eye that dome is too steeply curved for the length of the eye, so light comes to a focus in front of the retina instead of on it, and distance vision blurs.
Ortho-K addresses the curve rather than compensating for it. A lens made to the shape of your own cornea is worn through the night. Its geometry applies gentle pressure that redistributes the outermost layer of corneal cells, flattening the centre by a precisely calculated amount. When the lens comes out in the morning, the cornea holds that new profile.
Because only the surface epithelium is being reshaped, and because that layer naturally replaces itself, the change is temporary by design. Skip a few nights and vision drifts back. Stop entirely and the cornea returns to its original shape within a week or two.
What to expect
- A topography map first
- Nothing is ordered until the surface of your cornea has been mapped in three dimensions from over 20,000 measured points. That map is the design input for the lens.
- A diagnostic lens on the eye
- A trial lens from the fitting set goes on so the fit can be assessed live with fluorescein and a slit lamp, rather than predicted from numbers alone.
- A morning after check
- You return the morning after your first night still wearing or having just removed the lenses, so the effect and the corneal response can both be assessed while they are fresh.
Our process
Candidacy examination60 to 90 minutes
Full eye health assessment, refraction, corneal topography and a discussion of whether Ortho-K suits your prescription, your corneal shape and your daily life.
Diagnostic fitting45 minutes
Trial lenses are placed and evaluated on the eye. Insertion, removal and cleaning are taught properly rather than described.
Custom lens manufacture1 to 2 weeks
Your design is generated and the lenses are made to it. Nothing about this is off the shelf.
First night and morning review30 minutes
You sleep in the lenses and are seen the following morning so both the vision achieved and the corneal response can be checked.
Settling reviews1 to 4 weeks
Further checks as the correction stabilises. Small design changes are normal at this stage and are part of the fit.
What is included
- Corneal topography mapping at every stage
- Diagnostic lens fitting on the eye
- Custom lens design and manufacture
- Insertion, removal and handling training
- Scheduled follow up through the settling period
- Ongoing annual assessment while you continue in the lenses
What this does not do
- It is not a cure. The correction depends on continuing to wear the lenses.
- Very high prescriptions and some corneal shapes cannot be corrected fully by this method.
- It requires nightly commitment. Skipping nights means blurred days.
- Overnight lens wear carries an infection risk that daytime wear does not, so handling discipline matters.
Questions and answers
How long has Ortho-K existed?
Orthokeratology was developed in 1962. What has changed since is the manufacturing precision and the mapping technology, which is what turned it from an approximate technique into a predictable one.
Is it the same as LASIK?
No. LASIK permanently removes corneal tissue with a laser. Ortho-K temporarily reshapes the surface layer with a lens and reverses completely when you stop. One is surgery, the other is not.
Can I still see if I take them out for a night?
Usually yes, for most of the following day, though vision may soften towards the evening. Two or three nights off and the effect fades noticeably.
Who fits these lenses here?
Ortho-K fitting at Arizona's Vision is led by Dr Mark Page, who has run the Invisalens programme at this practice since its early years.
Talk to someone about what is ortho-k?
Appointments are scheduled two per hour, so there is time to answer questions properly. Call (480) 706-3937 or request a time online.