Orthokeratology uses rigid contact lenses at night to correct farsightedness during the day without daytime eyewear and a Myopia Gene Discovered

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1.

Orthokeratology (also referred to as Ortho-K, Overnight Vision Correction and Corneal Refractive Therapy), marketed under brand names like “DreamLens”, “i-GO OVC”, “GOV”, “Wake and See”, “CRT” and “Emerald”, is the use of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses, normally worn only at night, to improve vision through the reshaping of the cornea. This method can be used as an alternative to eyeglasses, refractive surgery, or for those who prefer not to wear contact lenses during the day.

The US FDA overnight orthokeratology approval for Paragon CRT is for procedures up to −6.00 dioptres of myopia and up to −1.75 dioptres of astigmatism whilst the approvals for Euclid (and thus for the other five lens designs offered under the Bausch and Lomb ‘Vision Shaping Treatment’ portfolio) cover procedures up to −5.00 dioptres of myopia and up to −1.50 dioptres of astigmatism.

In the United Kingdom the procedure is offered primarily for myopic correction up to −5.00 dioptres and up to −1.50 dioptres of astigmatism. Fitting evidence for the leading lens designs indicates that procedures undertaken within these parameters have the highest probability of success. Some patients with higher degrees of myopia are successfully treated by specialist practitioners with “off-label” uses of these same lenses.

In countries like South Africa, Australia and Taiwan, practitioners using the GOV orthokeratology system have achieved successful fits as high as −10.00D of myopia and +5.00D of hyperopia. Not every patient within these parameters will be suitable for the procedure and, for example, conditions such as flat or steep corneas may result in the procedure being less successful.

There is continuing research in Australia and other countries.


The lenses are being sold at an initial price of US$1,270, which includes the cost of designing unique lenses, and $508 for annual replacement lenses.

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Those of us afflicted with shortsightedness may get something similar in the future


2. Genes linked to two of the most common eye disorders -short-sightedness and glaucoma – have been discovered in international studies of more than 40,000 people from countries around the world, including Australia.

The research could help detect those at risk of developing the conditions and lead to new treatments. Understanding the biological causes of why distant objects look blurred could lead to new drugs to help prevent the disorder developing in children, or to improve the vision of older people. Myopia might also be a future candidate for gene therapy.



The increase in myopia during the past century was due to environmental factors such as doing close work and reading a lot, and there was some evidence that spending time outdoors and looking into the distance could help prevent it, he said.



Decreased thickness of the cornea is one of the main causes of glaucoma, a chronic degenerative condition and a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

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