Ortho Keratology

What on earth is Ortho Keratology, you might ask?

If you had asked me a while ago, you may have received a more positive answer from me. The technology sounds great - perfect eyesight without spectacles, contact lenses and definitely without lasers. Read this if you want to find out why that last one’s such a good thing. There are plenty more sites like that out there, too.

So, how has Ortho Keratology worked out for me?

Unfortunately, on balance, it has been a bit of a let down. The plus sides have been fantastic. I have been able to go out without spectacles or contact lenses. I find it hard to explain why this should be such a big deal to me. Call it vanity, but there’s more to it than that. It just feels freer and much more comfortable to be able to see perfectly, totally unaided.

And this is where the problems started for me. Yes, in bright summer daylight, with my latest set of lenses, on a day where the lenses worked well the night before, I can see perfectly. You’ll note there were a few caveats that slipped by there, though.

It has taken me a lot of visits to the opticians to reach this point. I’ve practically lived there for the last two or three months. I’ve had at least three different sets of lenses in that time. They still aren’t right.

The main trouble I’ve had is that my night vision is not being corrected properly. At first I was finding that I could see during the day but then I only had to wander into a shop before I felt my eyes going fuzzy. The new set of lenses are a lot better, but still not perfect. Driving at night in London, I want perfect, dammit!

Which leads nicely onto the second major snag: Night time is payback time. You want perfect eyesight during the day, then you have to wear your special lenses in bed at night. Not your regular contact lenses, either, we’re talking RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable), tiny pieces of plastic shrapnel. First time you try them you may, umm, “experience a little discomfort”. Rather like you would if you stuck a fork in your leg, really. This is not really conducive to a good night’s sleep.

I’ve cursed the little f**kers, with tears in my eyes. Some nights they are OK. As in, I can get to sleep with minimal discomfort. Last night, however, the lenses, the temperature and railway guys grinding the lines outside my window kept me up until about four in the morning. A sharp pain in the eye got me back up again at about five thirty after an hour and a half’s sleep to finally remove the lenses and give up.

The lenses are very susceptible to dust and contamination. They need very careful looking after and two different bottles of eye drops that you need to use, too. None of which was made especially clear to me while I was eager to sign up. They’re not that cheap, either, at thirty five quid a month.

For me this has been horribly frustrating. When they are good, they are amazing. Weighing that against the discomfort, unpredictable nature of them, logistical hassle of lens maintenance and regular visits to the opticians, I suspect I’ll be cancelling my direct debit and handing them back very soon.

My optician suggests that my results are not typical. If you’re really keen to try it out then head along to City Eyes and tell him I sent you. Your Mileage May Vary. Good Luck.