Re-Curve Your Eye

If you're near-sighted and tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses, you now have a new option to correct your vision.

Thanks to special contact lenses near-sighted patient Joe Peterson wears while he is asleep, he will have nearly perfect vision all day.

"It's like a freedom, I don't have to worry about using contact lenses during the day," Peterson says.

In the past decade, Lasik surgery has exploded in popularity as a quick fix for myopia or nearsightedness. Now, a new non-invasive, non-surgical procedure promises to revolutionize eye care. It is called Orthokeratology or Ortho-K.

"It's the best-kept secret in the eyecare field because what we are doing is actually stopping nearsightedness," says one optometrist.

Nearsightedness happens when light passes through the cornea into the eye in such a way that it doesn't focus properly on the retina. With Ortho-K, the contacts correct distance vision by molding the cornea into its proper shape. This allows the light to properly focus on the retina and improves vision. After removing the Ortho-K contacts in the morning, users can expect better eyesight for up to 18 hours.

This summer, the Food and Drug administration approved overnight Ortho-K for people with mild to moderate myopia. Initially, patients need to wear the lenses seven days a week. But, as the treatment moves forward and the lenses slow down the progression of nearsightedness, the contacts need to be worn only about three times a week.

"It's a huge improvement," says Ortho-K user Peterson.

Ortho-K costs between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on the length of treatment and the number of lenses needed.

Changes in vision can come as quickly as within hours to days of first using the lenses. Many cases take from three to six months to have stable, functional vision.