The prevalence of myopia has been on the rise in recent generations. This not only requires patients to use glasses or contact lenses to see properly, which is easily fixed with laser surgery – LASIK or PRK – or with intraocular lenses; it also increases the likelihood of eye disorders, especially in cases with high myopia (above 5-6 dioptres).
As such, it is important to try to keep the number of dioptres as low as possible once development is complete, in turn, reducing dependence on glasses and beyond that, the likelihood of disorders such as retinal detachment or early cataracts, among others, which are common in patients with high myopia.
HOW IT IS DONE
After a thorough eye check-up, the child and the family alike are trained in how to use these contact lenses, which the child should wear during the day. Unlike other contact lenses used in the past, the child does not sleep with the lenses in and there is no rebound effect. Monitoring is also the key to assessing whether the myopia is slowing or stopping, not just by assessing refraction, but also biometry and axial length.
Dr Rahhal | Ophthalmologist
PIONEERS IN EYE SURGERY
Clínica Rahhal is a trailblazing clinic in Spain in the field of managing myopia in child patients, especially in those with a family history of high myopia or who present significant increases in their prescription year after year.
“Ever since birth, my son has had vision problems. I took him there after having been to see many ophthalmologists and I will definitely stay with him. I am grateful beyond words”.
María Lucas.
“Last week, we took my 4-year-old son and the service couldn’t have been better!! They were great with the little one!! Highly recommended and great professionals!!”
Ana Rubio.
“The clinic is amazing. Nothing like other places I’ve been to. The personalised service and trust they convey is priceless. I’d particularly like to highlight the work of Dr Rahhal and Dr Alonso and their staff”.
Marian Carbonell.
FAQs
Select one of the following FAQs from our patients to show the answer. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us using the form below.
No. Orthokeratology is a method that involves wearing a contact lens during the night to change the shape of the cornea (the transparent part at the front of the eye), flattening it through the pressure exerted by the contact lens while sleeping. So, in the morning, the patient’s prescription will be lower (as the cornea is flattened). However, as the cornea re-acquires its usual shape during the day, the prescription level comes back. With the new contact lenses, which are daily-use (and not used during the night), we strive to prevent myopia from getting worse for the child, with no rebound effect, by using a peripheral defocus mechanism. In other words, it slows the progress of the myopia; it does not camouflage it.
No, these contact lenses are only designed for children as it is then when the eyeball undergoes the biggest changes and therefore the best time to take action if we want to slow the myopia.
No, what they do is slow down or stop the growth of the myopia so that the patient’s total number of dioptres will be less than it would be without using these contact lenses.
Unlike what many people think, the problem with having myopia does not only entail the need for glasses, which is easily solvable with laser surgery or intraocular lenses. And it is when the myopia is greater than approximately 6 dioptres that it is considered high myopia or pathological myopia. Here, the problem is not just the need for glasses but, as the eyeball is considerably longer than usual, the retina is weakened and susceptible to serious complications at an early stage of life, such as the appearance of neovascular membranes or retinal detachment. In fact, these complications are one of the main causes of vision impairment in middle-aged patients in the western world. This way, if we manage to prevent the myopia from reaching such high levels by using myopia management techniques (such as using these specific contact lenses), we will prevent long-term complications in patients.
Leave your details here and we will get in touch to offer you an appointment with one of our ophthalmologists. We will send you an email confirming receipt along with the details of the appointment requested. We will then call you within a few working hours to confirm the appointment requested.
