Advanced Orthokeratology

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.

Correcting 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.