Care / Ortho-K

Ortho-K

Orthokeratology uses specially shaped rigid contact
lenses worn overnight to temporarily reshape the
cornea providing clear glasses-free vision throughout
the next day.

Some studies suggest that in some cases Ortho-K helps slow the progression of myopia in children and provide reversible daytime vision correction for suitable adults, subject to careful fitting and ongoing review.

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Quick facts about Ortho-K

Wear schedule Nightly while sleeping

First clear daytime vision Within 1–2 weeks

Suitable from age Around 8, sometimes earlier

Best for prescriptions up to Individual assessment

Reversible Yes — stop wearing the lenses and the cornea returns to baseline within days

What is Ortho-K?

Orthokeratology — usually shortened to Ortho-K — is a non-surgical method of correcting short-sightedness, in which a custom-designed rigid gas-permeable contact lens is worn during sleep. The lens uses a precisely engineered curve on its inside surface to apply the gentlest of pressure to the central cornea, gradually flattening it just enough to bring distant objects back into sharp focus. The change is temporary and reversible, and the lens is removed first thing in the morning.

The result is clear vision through the entire day with no glasses, no daytime contacts, and no surgery. Some studies suggest that in some cases Ortho-K may slow down the progression of myopia in children and teenagers — the reshaped cornea changes the way light lands on the peripheral retina, and that change may help slow axial growth, which is what raises prescriptions year after year. Done well, it puts both vision correction and myopia care into a single nightly habit.

How the treatment works

Reshape overnight, see clearly through the day

Ortho-K lenses are designed around a reverse-geometry curve. Where a normal contact lens sits passively on the eye, an Ortho-K lens has a centre that vaults slightly above the cornea and a mid-peripheral zone that presses gently inward. While you sleep, the lens redistributes the corneal surface cells very slightly — flattening the central cornea by a calculated amount.

High-precision corneal mapping — topography and pachymetry to model the unique curvature of each cornea.
Custom-designed lens — lens parameters built to match your cornea, not pulled from a stock catalogue.
Fit-then-monitor approach — first-week, first-month, and ongoing reviews confirm that the corneal shape change matches the design.

Who Ortho-K is for

Ortho-K rewards patients who can build a steady nightly routine and want freedom from daytime correction — particularly children whose prescriptions are still moving year on year.

Kids with progressing myopia

Children and teenagers with progressing myopia, where slowing axial elongation matters as much as correcting the current prescription

Adults tired of daytime lenses

Adults who want clear daytime vision without glasses or daytime contacts

Active lifestyles

Swimmers, athletes, and people who work in dusty or contact-lens-unfriendly environments

Not ready for surgery

Anyone who is not yet a candidate for refractive surgery — or who simply prefers a reversible, non-surgical option

Aftercare & the fitting period

Your treatment experience at
European Eye Center

Ortho-K isn't surgery, but it does ask the eye to adapt to a new nightly habit. Most patients find the routine becomes effortless within a month.

Night 1–3

Adjustment to nightly wear

Some lens awareness is normal in the first nights. Vision in the morning is steadier than expected; daytime sharpness gradually improves over the following days.

Week 1

First clear daytime vision

Most patients reach functional daytime clarity by the end of the first week. The first review confirms the corneal shape change is on plan.

Month 1

The routine becomes second nature

Insertion and removal take less than a minute each end of the day. Full daytime correction is established, and the schedule becomes effortless for most families.

Ongoing

4-monthly reviews and annual lens replacement

Routine monitoring every four months, lens replacement once a year, and axial-length tracking for children to confirm myopia progression is being slowed.

Meet your specialist

Care led by specialists you'll meet in person.

Lead Ophthalmologist · Cataract and Retina Surgeon

Dr. JD Ferwerda, MD

Dr. JD Ferwerda, MD: Dutch-trained ophthalmologist specialising in cataracts, lens exchange, retinal disease, glaucoma, and AMD.

Book with Dr. JD See profile →

Refractive Surgeon

Dr. Artem Kozhechenkov, MD

Russian-trained refractive and general ophthalmologist, leads lasik/ laser vision correction at EEC

Book with Dr. Artem See profile →

Sleep in lenses. See clearly through the day.

+84 (0) 28 2253 3574

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