corneal refractive therapy

What is Corneal Refractive Therapy?

Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) is a sophisticated, non-invasive, non-surgical process which reshapes the cornea while you sleep. You remove the lenses when you awake and are able to go throughout the day without any other correction. (You will still have very good vision when the lens is in place.)

How soon will I notice changes?

Most patients notice rapid improvement in the first few days of treatment and achieve nearly their optimum vision in 10 to 14 days. CRT is temporary; if you stop wearing the lenses regularly while you sleep, your vision will return to its original state in as little as 72 hours.

What other changes will I notice?

For a time after you have begun treatment, but before sufficient treatment is realized, your old glasses or contacts will no longer be the appropriate prescription. It may involve insertion of your CRT lenses for part of the day or some use of temporary soft lenses in different prescriptions as an option. We will discuss what your options are for visual correction during that period of time.

Are there any risks?

There is a small risk involved when any contact lens is worn. It is not expected that the CRT lenses will provide a risk that is greater than other contact lenses. Dr. Ni uses Paragon CRT lenses; there were no adverse events reported in the Paragon CRT FDA clinical study.

How often do I have to replace the lenses?

Generally speaking, the CRT lenses will have to be replaced once a year. however, depending on factors such as protein buildup, how well the lenses are taken care of, etc., the lenses may have to be replaced more frequently.

What is involved in care of the lenses?

Your lenses will need to be chemically disinfected after every use (not heat). Dr. Ni will instruct you about which care system is best for you.

Am I a candidate for CRT?

CRT is not right for everyone. This lens is designed for individuals with low to moderate myopia (nearsightedness) with or without astigmatism. Paragon CRT therapeutic lenses are not yet available for hyperopia (farsightedness) or in bifocal prescriptions for presbyopia (which requires reading glasses or bifocals). Dr. Ni may be able to correct one eye for near vision and one corrected for distance vision). You might still need reading glasses. Since there are variations in patient physiology and visual needs, the decision for CRT at any age can only be made after a thorough eye exam and the recommendations of an eyecare professional.

This information was in part provided by Paragon CRT™ In-Office Marketing.