Corneal Reshaping Therapy

Corneal Reshaping Therapy (CRT) for Myopia Management

Limiting the progression of childhood myopia

Myopia is a long-term, progressive eye disease characterized by excess eye elongation, associated sight-threatening risks and blurry distance vision. The sight-threatening diseases associated with high myopia include, but are not limited to, myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, primary open-angle glaucoma, cataracts and staphyloma.

Corneal Reshaping Therapy (CRT), also known as orthokeratology, is a non-surgical treatment method to reduce myopia (nearsightedness) and/or astigmatism. The process involves the use of specialized gas permeable contact lenses that are custom designed to alter the curvature of the cornea. The CRT contact lenses are worn while sleeping at night in order to produce their therapeutic effect. Following removal of the contact lenses, visual acuity improves beyond pre-treatment levels. The short-term goal of CRT is to improve vision to normal eyesight during the day without the use of glasses or traditional contact lenses. The long-term goal is to reduce myopic progression. The use of CRT has been shown in numerous studies to significantly limit the progression of myopia when compared to traditional single vision contact lenses or glasses. The effectiveness of CRT lenses has been reported to reduce the rate of myopic progression by 36% to 56%, depending on studies cited.

Your doctor at Bensenville Eye Care will tailor a plan along with you and your child to find the appropriate design and parameters of CRT lenses that will have the highest probability of slowing the progression of your child’s myopia. These lenses need to be worn every night in order to exert their effect. In addition to reducing myopic progression, these contact lenses will correct your child’s vision at all distances, be comfortable to wear while sleeping and be as healthy to wear as traditional contact lenses. As part of the therapeutic program, your doctor will monitor your child’s vision and refractive status, eye health response and all elements that contribute to an optimal outcome during the course of therapy.

The results of CRT will vary to some degree from patient to patient and are typically related to the degree of refractive error (e.g. prescription levels). Although results are typically excellent for appropriate candidates, results cannot be guaranteed due to individual cornea and eye response variability.

CRT lenses will need to be replaced annually and will be modified in parameters annually based on the results of your comprehensive eye health examination and myopia management evaluation at that time.