Cornea Reflective Therapy Specialist

What is cornea refractive therapy?

Cornea refractive therapy (CRT), is the first FDA-approved orthokeratology (ortho-k) treatment for correcting nearsightedness. Ortho-k is an alternative to wearing glasses or contacts in the daytime and is also an alternative to laser surgery.

Dr. Yu specializes in providing CRT for children to control the progression of nearsightedness. CRT involves wearing specially designed contact lenses overnight while your child sleeps. When they wake up, they remove the lenses and can see clearly without glasses or daytime contacts.

If your child is nearsighted, consider CRT at Neovision Optometry. Untreated myopia tends to worsen with age and increases your child’s risk of complications like cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. While glasses or contact lenses can help your child see clearly, only CRT can actually slow the progression of myopia.

How does CRT work?

To fit your child’s CRT lenses, Dr. Yu uses a machine called a corneal topographer to map out the whole surface of each eye. These measurements help her to provide lenses that precisely correct your child’s vision.  

The underlying cause of refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, is that the front surface of the eye, known as the cornea, is misshapen. It’s either too long, too short, or irregular. CRT lenses gently reshape the front surfaces of your child’s eyes so they’re more even, allowing them to focus light evenly and resulting in clear vision.

How long does it take to see results from CRT?

Many children see dramatic improvements in their vision after just one or two nights of CRT. However, it usually takes up to two weeks for CRT to fully take effect, depending on how strong the prescription is.

Your child may need to wear temporary daytime glasses while they wait for CRT to take full effect. They may find their vision is better than their old uncorrected vision, but less sharp than the corrected vision they might expect from wearing glasses. Your child might see “halos” around lights or have blurry vision during this time.

The effects of CRT are temporary. Your child’s vision improves for a day or two at a time. To retain clear vision, it’s necessary for your child to continue wearing the lenses overnight.

To learn more about CRT, schedule an appointment at Neovision Optometry online or over the phone.