Nearsighted No More (Farsighted No More)

The number one reason most people do not know about AOK is...

2012-03-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

The number one reason most people donot know about AOK is...

Let's start at the beginning. Ourfirst doctor to examine us is our pediatrician. During our earlyyears we go for Well Visits and some Sick Visits. The pediatricianhelps us by checking our health and treating most problems as theycome up. For the most part, pediatricians do a good job at takingcare of us when we are little. However, since they are the gatekeepers of our well being, they are responsible for referring us toother doctors for conditions beyond their scope of practice. This isthe point I believe all children should be referred to anorthokeratologist. All children should be first examined by an optometrist whospecializes in orthokeratology. The reason is that optometrists arethe best trained eye doctors for visual disorders and treat most eyediseases. Those optometrist that specialize in orthokeratology haveadvanced training in Myopia Control, which has become worse over the span of one generation .

Let's back track a bit. Thepediatrician should be concerned about the problems associated withHigh Myopia (Nearsightedness) because It's prevention and control isbest treated at a young age. Even though the problems of Glaucoma,Macular Degeneration, and a whole bunch of Retinal problems areusually seen in adults, they are more common in highlymyopic individuals. Now nearsightedness can not be reversed,but recent studies show that it can be curtailed to a point that itmay not progress in to a health risk.

The real issue is that most pediatricophthalmologists do not support the concept of MyopiaControl. They tend go out of their way to discourage parentsand pediatricians from embracing it. I see them refer to old studiesand information, and hear them scare parents out of safe andeffective treatments.

Many pediatricians do not send kidsout early enough for eye and vision care. When they do, most willsend them to a pediatric ophthalmologist. So there you have it. Mytake on why most people do not know about AOK or Myopia Control.

Staying Current

2012-01-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the first days agenda of the next Annual Orthokeratology Academy of America meeting. The rest of the days are just as packed with great speakers and new information. I urge all Parents and Pediatricians to have their children be cared for by Doctors trained in Myopia Control. Most doctors today have very limited exposure to new developments of Myopia (nearsighted / shortsighted) Control.

Earl Smith
Recent Research in Myopia Confinement

Myopia Control
Richard Anderson

The Myopia Control Protocol
Jun Xu

Myopia Control From The Chinese Perspective
Sami El Hage

Evolution of Topography and CXL
Lu Fan

Orthokeratology In China: The advances after twists and turns
Pieying Xie

MD’s in China and OrthoK.
Jerry Legerton

New Innovations and the future of Corneal Reshaping.

SESSION 2:
Tom Aller
Evidence-based Myopia Treatment Protocol.

Antonio Calossi
Challenging cases in OrthoK.

Eef van der Worp
Sclerals when OK is not appropriate.

SESSION 3:

Jennifer Choo
A Review of the Science Behind OrthoK.

Craig Norman
Current Myopia Control Studies

Prof Helen Swarbrick discusses a new clinical technique for the treatment of myopia (or short-sightedness) that involves reshaping the cornea using a hard contact lens worn at night.

2011-08-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

Top 5 questions about AOK you should have answered

2011-06-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

1. Do you know that (a child’s) nearsighted progression can be controlled?
Recent studies indicate it can be. If treated by an Orthokeratologist, nearsighted progression can be slowed or stopped entirely. These children are not given any drugs like atropine. They are treated with special AOK retainers (which look like small contact lenses). These lenses are used only during sleeping hours and are therefore very comfortable. I treat children of any age, myopia, however generally begins around 7 or 8 years of age.

2. Do you know the risks of becoming a highly myopic individual?
As myopia increase so do the risks of sight threatening eye diseases. Theses diseases include Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Retinal holes - tears - or detachments. Preventing disease in adulthood starts with prevention in childhood. LASIK does not reduce these risks.

3. Do you know how to avoid wearing eyeglasses?
Many children and adults are candidates for AOK. This treatment also allows patients to see clearly during the day without needing to use glasses or traditional contact lenses. When a patient wakes in the morning, their vision is clear through the retainers. However, the retainers are not left on the eyes. They are remove upon waking. The patient now has clear vision without any additional help from glasses or contacts. The vision stays clear all day long.

4. Is Advanced Orthokertaology (AOK) all the same?
The short answer is No. The long answer is that AOK is very orthokeratologist dependant. Since AOK has become popular in recent years, more doctors have become FDA certified to treat patients. This is a short online course a doctor must pass in order to begin fitting patients. An experienced orthokeratologist has years of training in the field of orthokeratology and see’s AOK patients on a regular basis. Fellowship trained orthokeratologist have demonstrated advanced knowledge and proficiency in the field of orthokeratology, and are acknowledged by the International Academy of Orthokeratology. The outcome of the procedure in regards to the quality of vision and the continued health of the eyes is directly related to the doctors experience and skills.

5. Is AOK the same as CRT?
Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) is one type of Advanced or Accelerated Orthokeratology (AOK). AOK is not only CRT, it many include may different types of retainer lenses. CRT is a specific retainer design that is available in different parameters to fit many people. It is not a custom made lens using 1000’s of data points, therefore does not work as well as a custom made lens. In my practice I have a few patients in CRT and other pre-designed lenses, however most of our patients are in custom made retainers designed by me. First, I take a special picture (topography) of the patients eye. Every patient has a unique topography, it’s like a fingerprint of the eye. I convert and transfer the picture data to a computer program that allows me to design a custom retainer for each unique corneal shape. With over 10 years of custom designing lenses for my patients I have developed a strong understanding and preference for this method. I have had great success of taking over complicated unsatisfied CRT patients and refitting them successfully with custom AOK.

There are many more questions you may have regarding AOK. Reading through my blog and visiting my website may answer them. If you have additional questions, please schedule an appointment for a consultation at either of my offices. Choosing the right doctor is the most important decision you need to make.

AOK Julia

2011-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's amazing, when I was about 5 years old my eyes began to cross because of my higher Farsighted prescription. I spent 2 years doing vision therapy and wearing special glasses. It worked great and my eyes don't cross any longer. I have very good stereo vision which simply means my eyes work really well together. This is important because many kids have this problem, but they get surgery instead to straighten their eye and many times their eye never learn to work together. I still had to use glasses because I was still Farsighted. Not anymore! About a year ago my father, who is an orthokeratologist, fit me with special contacts called AOK Retainers. I put them on at bed time (I could see with them on, they are like little contact lenses) and I take them off in the morning. So that way I never need to wear glasses or contact lenses while I am awake. Now my eyes are straight and I am free to play lacrosse, swim or just hangout without anything on my eyes or on my face! I do love my new sunglasses though, they are cool.

Cutting Edge Eye Care without the cutting!

2011-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

April 28-May 1, 2011: Orlando, Fl. Abraham Zlatin, O.D. attended the Orthokeratology Academy of America educational conference. The OAA is an international organization of orthokeratologists who provide a nonsurgical alternative to refractive surgery for nearsightedness, astigmatism and hyperopia. Current research also shows that Ortho-K can slow myopic progression in children.

The keynote address was given by Melbourne Hovell, Ph.D., M.P.H.-Graduate School of Public Health in San Diego-Myopia as a Public Health Concern. The international faculty of presenters covered topics including myopia control (including soft lens technology), corneal reshaping research, safety of corneal reshaping, progressive/hyperopic Ortho-K lens designs, new corneal reshaping technologies, post Lasik/ Keratoconus Ortho-K designs, lens designs for corneal rehabilitation, corneal cross-linking and Ortho-K in China.

President Dr. Cary Herzberg had the pleasure of announcing the inception of the new International Academy of Orthokeratology(IAO). The IAO brings together ortho-K organizations from the America (OAA) as well and Europe and Asia. This international organization will support, promote and advance corneal reshaping worldwide thru quality education and research presentations at meetings held around the world. The first meetings are planned for Europe (Fall 2011), China (March 2012) and Phoenix(April 2012). For more information about Ortho-K go to www.EyehOO.com

Now AOK is available for Far Sighted patients as well

2011-04-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

AOK for Hyperopia is now available. I am also launching our AOK for Presbyopia next month. These new designs will allow many patient over 40 years of age to continue to see in the distance as well as read up close with out the need of reading glasses. Stay tuned for more information.

AOK Anna 1 Month Later.mov

2010-03-11T19:19:00.001-08:00

"I forgot what it's like to Not See!"

AOK Anna Day 6

2010-02-11T19:19:00.001-08:00

I can see better than 20/20! And it last all day and night! Good bye my old contacts. I can wait to go skiing!

AOK Anna

2010-02-11T16:57:00.001-08:00

Follow a teen going through the transformation.

CRT See without Glasses, LASIK, or contacts!

2010-02-10T18:16:00.001-08:00

Some info on my latest AOK patient

2010-02-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

I will post some details soon, but for now...She is 16 years old and wanted to be free of glasses. Her contacts were not great for skiing and swimming, so she became very interested in AOK. Yesterday her vision was 20/200 without her glasses on. Today, one night later she is 20/20! Stay tuned for more details.

Stay Tuned

2010-02-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I’m about to document a new patient beginning AOK. It should be fun. I’ll update my blog to share with you the amazing transformation. See you.

LASIK for Kids?

2010-01-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

Not exactly... Children are not allowed to have refractive surgery. However, AOK is safe and effective for kids of all ages. The benefits of AOK are similar to LASIK, in that the patient is free of glasses and contact lenses. If you have been reading my blog this is not new information. You also now know that AOK helps slow the progression of nearsightedness. The question is, is there anything that can be done to prevent nearsightedness before it starts? We do know that Myopia has been increasing in the USA at an alarming rate. One hundred years ago 5% of us were nearsighted; today it’s over 30%. This is a progressive disease affecting 1.6 billion children and adults worldwide. We expect myopia will increase to 2.5 billion by 2020. Educating parents and children about vision is the first step to controlling this epidemic. I am willing to speak to groups of parents, teachers, children and businesses to bring awareness to this growing problem. If there are any schools, PTA’s or other organizations interested in scheduling a lecture please contact me.

This sounds perfect!

2010-01-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Nothing is perfect. AOK works well when fit properly by an experienced Optometrist. However there are times it just doesn't work well enough. The good news is, those times are very rare and the solution is simple, just stop using the retainers. AOK is amazing I must say. The happiest patients I have are the ones that have found this incredible way of seeing. Seeing the awe on their face when they read the eye chart for the first time with out glasses or contacts, is my favorite part.

One Question I hear is "Is it safe?"

2010-01-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Yes! Like with contact lenses, it's always important to keep them clean and to wash your hands. On June 13, 2002, the FDA approved the marketing of Paragon CRT lenses, one form of AOK. The FDA also approved for marketing these overnight retainers for any age. The safety is well proven, with over 40 years of corneal molding history combined with today's super high oxygen permeable materials. Another reason the safety is so high is that AOK is completely reversible. Since it is non-invasive (not surgical) there is no permanent change to the cornea. With LASIK or other laser eye surgeries if there happens to be a poor visual outcome, it usually requires more surgery and/or specialty contact lenses. Sometime even those solutions do not provide normal vision. Keep in mind this is rare but does happen with surgery. Unlike surgery, AOK is reversible and will allow a patient to return to an untreated condition over a one to two week period of discontinuing treatment. The risks of AOK seem to be similar to contact lenses. Those who use tap water to take care of their lenses and do not disinfect them prior to insertion may develop eye infections. Some eye surgeons have used negative reports from other countries and used these uncontrolled reports in their studies. AOK patients in other countries are not necessarily examined by doctors and are not professionally trained or certified in corneal molding. In addition, the few eye infections reported in foreign countries were a result of poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions not the molding procedure. AOK is a very gentle procedure that leaves your eyes feeling comfortable and clear.

The Nearsighted Epidemic

2010-01-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is the start of my blog. Hopefully I will be able to open your eyes to a completely different way of correcting your vision. My goal is to educate as many people as I possibly can about nearsightedness (Myopia) and a way to control it. Many people only know about glasses, contact or LASIK / PRK. There is, however another treatment; One that can slowdown the progression of nearsightedness while allowing you to be free of glasses and day time contacts. There is NO laser or surgery involved. There is no hokes pokes eye exercise involved either.