Common Complaints and Complications

Remember
No treatment can give 100% satisfaction. If dissatisfied, the patient is strongly encouraged to discuss the problem with her/his optometrist/contact lens practitioner to clarify the issue. If the underlying cause is due to inadequate or improper lens fit, the problem can be rectified by modifying the lenses; if it is due to under-responding of the cornea to ortho-k treatment, then the patient can opt to cease the treatment.

Some common minor complaints and complications in Ortho-k are:

• Distance vision (after removal of Ortho-k lenses) not as good (some blur or fogginess) compared with glasses or conventional contact lenses

• Ghosting or double image (one eye only)

• Lens binding (difficult to remove lenses in the morning)

  • It is VERY IMPORTANT that the patient learn what to do when the lens adheres to the cornea in the morning. Never forcefully remove any lens from the eye - usually a few drops of saline or lens lubricant applied to the eye and a few forced blinks will loosen the lens. However, if severe, this should be rectified by lens modification.

• Superficial corneal staining (with sodium fluorescein)

• Staining indicates absence of epithelial cells, damaged epithelial cells or epithelial breakdown.

In everyday life, mild superficial staining can be easily caused by dust entering the eye, an eyelash in the eye, or accidental contact with facial cleansing water when washing the face.

All contact lenses are foreign bodies to the eye, so mild superficial corneal staining can be commonly seen in any contact lens wearer, but these normally heal very quickly - within a few hours after lens removal. More severe staining will take days to heal.

Rubbing the eye with the lens on may also lead to corneal staining, so this should be avoided where possible. However, mild rubbing usually does not cause any significant damage.

All corneal staining are liable to infections, hence appropriate advice to the patient to be careful and hygienic is important.