ortho-k

[scraders]

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when it becomes more popular, how do you think ortho-k will affect optometry and ophthalmology?

 

[cpw]

I don't feel ortho-K is ever going to become immensely popular. It's been around quite awhile.

 

[jefguth]

when it becomes more popular, how do you think ortho-k will affect optometry and ophthalmology?

I can't imagine it will affect opthalmology very much, unless is becomes so popular and it overtakes lasik. However, I think that it will provide many new opportunities for optometrists since the fitting of ortho-k lenses is a labourious process.

 

[jefguth]

I don't feel ortho-K is ever going to become immensely popular. It's been around quite awhile.

I think it is gaining quite alot of attention is Canada. In Waterloo there are already a number of optometrists that exclusively specialize in ortho-k. It seems especially popular in areas with high Asian populations (apparently Asians have notoriously awful myopia...).

Does anyone know what it costs to get ortho-k in the the states? I have read that its like $800 to $4000 CAD here.

 

[Potato!]

I agree with cpw 100% on this one. Don't look to ortho-K to be the "next big thing" in optometry. It has been around for years and years, and no one has ever been too excited about it. As techniques in laser procedures improve even further, more ppl will get the procedure and I think even less will be attracted to ortho-K. From what I understand as well, many people's eyes are too bad to be corrected with ortho-K. I don't think any ophthalmologists make money off ortho-K, but I do know a few optometrists who specialize in it and seemed to get by okay. Either way, I don't see it become more popular in the future.

 

[jefguth]

Has anyone here ever tried ortho-K lenses? I've been interested in them for awhile now, but haven't pursued them b/c I've heard they are pretty expensive. However, I will soon be participating in a short one night trial of the lenses at the Centre for Contact Lens Research at UW! Hopefully it won't be painful...

 

[scraders]

yeah, i heard they're about $1,000 to $1,500...

when i went to ico for my interview, the tour guide that said students can get it done for about $100.

i don't understand why some don't think ortho-k will be popular in the future. it essentially achieves the same goal as lasik at the same price (except you need to wear a retainer lens). it's safer and reversible. i know the technology has been around for decades, but one brand of lenses finally gained fda approval for overnight wear in june. i kind of see ortho-k as a safer alternative to laser correction. maybe there's something more to it that i don't know about yet?

 

[xmattODx]

Has anyone here ever tried ortho-K lenses? I've been interested in them for awhile now, but haven't pursued them b/c I've heard they are pretty expensive. However, I will soon be participating in a short one night trial of the lenses at the Centre for Contact Lens Research at UW! Hopefully it won't be painful...

I did for a few months as a subject for a study that never took off. I really liked it. I'm around a -3.50 with slight oblique cyl OU.

 

[JennyW]

I agree with cpw 100% on this one. Don't look to ortho-K to be the "next big thing" in optometry. It has been around for years and years, and no one has ever been too excited about it. As techniques in laser procedures improve even further, more ppl will get the procedure and I think even less will be attracted to ortho-K. From what I understand as well, many people's eyes are too bad to be corrected with ortho-K. I don't think any ophthalmologists make money off ortho-K, but I do know a few optometrists who specialize in it and seemed to get by okay. Either way, I don't see it become more popular in the future.

I agree that it probably won't be the next big thing, but I think it will become more popular. In the old days, the lenses were not FDA approved for overnight wear and ODs who were concerned about liability issues avoided the technique. Also, since many of them were just "really flat" traditional RGP lenses, they were difficult to fit.

Many of the new fitting sits that are actually designed for this procedure and DO have overnight approval are so easy to use that I think more and more ODs will use them. I use them a fair amount. I do about 1 or 2 patients per week and make $1500 from it. Over a year, that's a quite a bit of money. It's effective, it's safe, and it's reversible. My success rate is about 90%

Jenny

 

[mdkurt]

i don't understand why some don't think ortho-k will be popular in the future.

I don't think there's much wrong with ortho-k (despite recent articles trying to blast it), but the one reason why it won't ecclipse LASIK is that we're a nation of lazy, lazy people. Even with the percieved risk of cutting on the eye, most consumers will choose the quick results with LASIK over nightly contact lens wear.

 

[scraders]

that is so true about americans...we want instant gratification...

 

[PBEA]

I don't think there's much wrong with ortho-k (despite recent articles trying to blast it), but the one reason why it won't ecclipse LASIK is that we're a nation of lazy, lazy people. Even with the percieved risk of cutting on the eye, most consumers will choose the quick results with LASIK over nightly contact lens wear.

Yeah, I love those articles, some remote third world country, using unknown methodology, and some ulceration develops, big surprise. This shows up in all the headlines, but take some permanent complication secondary to LASIK, and you barely hear a whisper. I agree americans need the quick fix, but also ortho-K has a more limited range. I'd like to hear what Jenny has to say about how frequently her many success stories have to wear the retainer.

 

[JennyW]

Yeah, I love those articles, some remote third world country, using unknown methodology, and some ulceration develops, big surprise. This shows up in all the headlines, but take some permanent complication secondary to LASIK, and you barely hear a whisper. I agree americans need the quick fix, but also ortho-K has a more limited range. I'd like to hear what Jenny has to say about how frequently her many success stories have to wear the retainer.

I'm not sure I completely understand the question. Ortho-k is not a permanent procedure, so the number of my successes that have to wear retainer lenses is "all of them".

If you're asking how often they have to wear them, I would say that about 25% of them wear the lenses ever night. About 50% of them wear them every other night, and about 25% of them wear them every 3rd night. I have one patient who wears them every 4th night. I use the CRT system.

Jenny

 

[cpw]

Ortho-K is only offered as an elective at UHCO. I never had room to take it. Do you think it's possible to read up on it with books and attended a CE or two on it .. would that be enough to fit ortho-K lenses ??

How did you get to feel confident fitting these lenses, Jenny? course at school ? CE? trial and error? Enquiring minds want to know 🙂