Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) in Melbourne — Night Lenses for Myopia Control
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) in Melbourne — Night Lenses for Myopia Control
Imagine waking up each morning and seeing clearly – without reaching for your glasses or inserting contact lenses. That’s exactly what Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, makes possible. Using custom-designed night lenses that gently reshape your cornea while you sleep, Ortho-K delivers clear, comfortable vision throughout the day with no surgery and no daytime lenses required.
A Plus Optometry is one of Melbourne’s most experienced Ortho-K clinics, with practices in Ringwood North and Mornington. We fit Ortho-K for adults seeking freedom from glasses, and for children whose myopia is progressing – where the treatment does double duty, correcting vision and actively slowing the progression of short-sightedness.
If you’re curious whether Ortho-K is right for you or your child, our optometrists will walk you through everything at a no-pressure consultation.
Orthokeratology uses rigid gas-permeable contact lenses (often called night lenses or corneal reshaping lenses) that are worn only while you sleep. Importantly, the effect is fully reversible. If you stop wearing the lenses, your cornea gradually returns to its original shape within a few days.
Here’s what happens, step by step:
Your custom Ortho-K lenses are placed in your eyes before sleep, just like any contact lens.
While you sleep, the lenses apply light, precisely calculated pressure to temporarily flatten the central cornea. This changes the way light is focused as it enters the eye.
You take your lenses out when you wake up – there’s nothing to wear during the day.
The reshaped cornea holds its new profile throughout the day, allowing light to focus correctly on the retina. Most patients achieve 20/20 or better vision within one to two weeks of beginning treatment.
Also known as: Orthokeratology, Ortho-K, OK therapy, Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), night lenses, overnight contact lenses, corneal reshaping lenses.
Myopia (short-sightedness) in children is one of the most significant eye health issues facing Australia today. Children’s eyes grow rapidly during school years – and in myopic eyes, this growth is excessive, causing the eyeball to elongate and vision to worsen year on year.
Left unchecked, high myopia in adulthood significantly increases the risk of serious conditions including retinal detachment, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
This is where Ortho-K does something no standard glasses or soft contact lens can do: it actively slows the rate of myopia progression.
When an Ortho-K lens reshapes the cornea, it creates a specific optical effect in the peripheral retina as well as the central retina. This peripheral defocus signal is believed to reduce the stimulus that causes the eyeball to keep elongating. The result: myopia doesn’t just get corrected – it progresses more slowly. Clinical studies show Ortho-K can slow myopia progression by approximately 32% to 63% compared to single-vision spectacles or standard contact lenses. For a child whose prescription is currently worsening by -0.75D per year, that’s a meaningful reduction.
Children can begin Ortho-K from around age 6. The earlier treatment begins, the greater the long-term benefit — the most significant myopia control gains are seen in children who start between ages 6 and 9. We generally recommend continuing Ortho-K wear through the school years (including university), as myopia can continue to progress into the early 20s.
Yes – Ortho-K has a strong safety record in children when proper lens care and hygiene are followed. Our clinic provides thorough training for both parents and children, and all follow-up care is included in our Advantage Programme. The risk of infection is comparable to standard soft contact lens wear and is minimised with good cleaning habits.
Success rates for children are high: 88.7% of children achieve predictable, stable vision correction after at least one year of treatment. If your child’s myopia is progressing, or if you’d simply like to explore whether Ortho-K is appropriate for them, we’d encourage you to come in for a consultation. The earlier we assess, the more options we have.
Ortho-K is appropriate for a wide range of patients. You may be a good candidate if you:
Ortho-K may not be ideal if you have very high myopia (above -6.00D), significant irregular astigmatism, or certain corneal conditions. Our optometrists will assess your suitability thoroughly at your initial consultation.
Ortho-K involves custom-designed lenses and an ongoing fitting and monitoring programme, so the investment is more meaningful than off-the-shelf contact lenses.
Custom Ortho-K lenses at A Plus Optometry typically start from $450 per lens. The total cost of treatment varies depending on prescription complexity and the lens design required, and is discussed in full at your consultation.
All patients at A Plus Optometry are enrolled in our Ortho-K Advantage Programme, which includes:
LASIK eye surgery in Australia typically costs between $3,000 and $3,700 per eye. Ortho-K represents a significantly lower financial commitment, particularly for patients who are not yet LASIK candidates – such as children or those with progressive myopia.
Orthokeratology is not covered by Medicare. However, private health insurance with optical or contact lens cover may contribute to the cost of lenses and fittings, depending on your policy level. We recommend checking with your insurer. We can provide the relevant item codes to assist with claiming.
We follow a structured, evidence-based pathway to ensure Ortho-K is prescribed safely and effectively for every patient. Here’s what to expect from start to finish:
Our emphasis throughout is on keeping your eyes safe, healthy, and seeing their best. We don’t simply fit lenses and send you on your way — we are with you at every stage.
Essentially, Ortho-K uses rigid gas permeable contact lenses that can help you see during the day by reshaping your cornea while you sleep. We like to think of Ortho-K as braces for the eyes.
As an eye care practitioner, A Plus Optometry generally aims for 20/20 vision after Ortho-k. The condition of your myopia may impact the result you achieve.
At your follow up appointments, we’ll check your ocular health and keep an eye on things to ensure that you can safely carry on wearing your Ortho-K lenses during treatment.
This process involves the following stages:
At A Plus Optometry, our emphasis is on keeping your eyes safe and healthy, so all the costs of the follow up appointments (except the yearly Comprehensive Eye Exam) are included in your Ortho-K Advantage Programme. If you would like more information about Ortho-K in Melbourne or have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Whether you live in Ringwood or Mornington and any of the above is of interest, talk to us.
Whether you’re considering Ortho-K for yourself or for your child, the first step is a consultation with one of our experienced optometrists. We’ll assess your suitability, explain what to expect, and make sure you have everything you need to make an informed decision – no pressure, no jargon.
A Plus Optometry offers Ortho-K consultations at both our Ringwood North and Mornington clinics.
