How Corneal Shaping works
Contact lenses for Corneal Shaping are inserted at bedtime and worn overnight. While you sleep, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of your eye (the cornea) to correct your vision, so you can see clearly without glasses or contact lenses when you’re awake. The effect is temporary – generally enough to get you through a day or two – so you must wear the reshaping lenses each night to maintain good vision during the day.
Who is a candidate for Corneal Shaping?
- Children and adults (ages 8-60) dependent on eyeglasses or contacts.
- Patients who want to correct their vision without the use of traditional contacts or glasses worn in the daytime.
- Patients looking for an alternative to LASIK surgery due to age or non-qualification.
- Patients who have difficulties wearing traditional contact lenses in the daytime because of dry eyes or allergies
What results can you expect from Corneal Shaping?
The goal for Corneal Shaping is to correct your vision to 20/20 without eyeglasses or contact lenses during the day. In FDA trials, more than 65% of patients were able to achieve 20/20 visual acuity after wearing the reshaping lenses overnight for a period. More than 90% were able to see 20/40 or better (the legal vision requirement for driving without glasses in most states).
Success rates for Corneal Shaping tend to be higher for mild prescriptions. Call our eye care clinic in Mobile, AL to find out if your prescription is within the range that can be successfully treated with Corneal Shaping.
How long does Corneal Shaping take?
Though you may see some improvement in your vision after a day or two of overnight lens wear, it can take several weeks, or more, for the full effect to be experienced. During this time, your vision will not be as clear as it was with glasses or contacts, and you are likely to notice some glare and halos around lights. It’s possible you may need a temporary pair of eyeglasses for certain tasks, like driving at night, until your vision is fully corrected by the Corneal Shaping lenses.
Is Corneal Shaping comfortable?
Some people have comfort issues when attempting to wear gas permeable contact lenses during the day. But since ortho-k GP lenses are worn during sleep, comfort and lens awareness are generally not a problem.
Cost of Corneal Shaping
Corneal Shaping is a treatment process, not simply a pair of contact lenses. This process is a significantly longer process than a regular contact lens fitting. It requires a series of office visits and potentially multiple pairs of lenses. Call our eye doctor serving Baldwin County & Washington County for more information.
Can I have LASIK after Corneal Shaping?
Yes, it’s possible to have LASIK surgery after orthokeratology. But because ortho-k lenses reshape your cornea, you must stop wearing the lenses for a period of time (usually several months) so your eyes can return to their original shape and stabilize. Be sure to tell your LASIK surgeon that you’ve worn Corneal Shaping lenses, so they can advise you how long you should wait before having the surgery.