Orthokeratology and Corneal Refractive Therapy: A Review and Recent Findings

PURPOSE: To review the past and current literature and present recent findings on orthokeratology and corneal refractive therapy. METHODS: Various articles on contact lens corneal reshaping were analyzed. Common clinical procedures and interference measurement of tear-film thickness were also used. RESULTS: Although the numbers of patients tested to date do not allow conclusions of great certainty, based on a review of the current literature, our recent study of 60 patients, and the Food and Drug Administration approval of overnight contact lens corneal refractive therapy, there is a low incidence of complications, and unaided visual acuity of 20/20 in the morning is possible in most (74%) successful cases. Refractive error change of 2.25diopter (D) +/- 1.00D is common. A presumed iron ring may appear in some patients in the midperipheral corneal epithelium. CONCLUSION: Overnight orthokeratology and corneal refractive therapy with modern design reverse-return zone lenses in high-Dk rigid gas-permeable contact lens materials is an option for transient vision correction for some myopic patients.