The theme of World Eye Care Day 2010 is “Care for Youth Eye Health”, according to Mao Yu, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, China’s youth poor eyesight rate is nearly 60%, ranking second in the world, the number of the world’s largest. As summer approaches, some teenagers are choosing various means of correction, either by wearing frames, laser surgery, or corneal shaping lenses. Among them, keratomileusis may be the first choice of many people, recently the newspaper to see the technology of advertising, claiming that “no open myopia treatment”, this technology is really so amazing, that a few years ago why the “OK lens incident”?
To the end of the news
When it comes to OK lenses, ophthalmologists prefer to use the term “keratomileusis”.
A few years ago, the “OK lens” craze in China led to many complications. Sun Xuguang, a researcher at the Institute of Ophthalmology at Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated with the Capital Medical University, explained that the market was very confusing at the time, one is not qualified non-medical institutions to carry out the technology in large numbers; the second is not equipped with the expertise of personnel in a hurry to start; third, most of the products are listed without the approval of the Chinese Food and Drug Administration. “Basically, it is not the fault of technology, but the human factor.” Sun Xuguang said that many patients in the overwhelming propaganda also produced some misunderstanding, one-sided understanding of “OK lens” as a common commodity, that as long as you wear it can cure myopia.
Can keratomileusis cure myopia? Are there any side effects of this treatment method?
Corneal Reshaping Cures Myopia
Keratomileusis reduces myopia by changing the curvature of the cornea and flattening the curvature of the central optical zone of the cornea. By using high oxygen permeable material, full anastomosis multi-curvature design, flat in the middle and steep at the periphery of the lens to wear on the cornea, the lens, eyelids and tears work together on the cornea to slowly change the shape of the cornea, reshape the cornea and restore it to its original physiological state, thus reducing the degree of myopia or astigmatism. By pressing down on the cornea at night, the lenses change the curvature of the cornea thereby improving myopia. The lenses are worn at night for 8 hours and are removed the next day for optimal vision.
It is best to sleep with keratoconus lenses in a supine position so that the cornea can be evenly stressed to achieve a good correction.
Improper fitting can cause serious complications
Improper fitting and use of keratoplasty lenses can cause eye redness, tearing, double vision and other serious complications such as corneal deformation and cone corneas. Because of the hardness of the lenses, improper wear can cause corneal hypoxia and endothelial cell damage, which is irreversible. This damage is irreversible and can cause corneal edema and large corneal blisters in severe cases. In addition, when wearing keratoplasty lenses for a long time, low local resistance or improper care can cause serious complications such as corneal infections and corneal ulcers. However, the rate of complications with keratoplasty lenses is about 0.3 to 0.5%.
However, patients must be aware of the consequences of not taking strict care. In general, patients have the right to know about the side effects and possible complications of a medical technology, and it is the doctor’s duty to explain them and give reasonable instructions on how to prevent them from occurring. The doctor should also tell the patient not to wear them during illness and when the immune system is weakened. It is important to maintain personal hygiene while wearing the lenses, to wash and dry the hands before handling the lenses, to make sure that the inside of the lenses are filled with eye lubricant before wearing the lenses, and to make sure that there are no air bubbles under the lenses after wearing the lenses. Parents must supervise or help their children to complete the cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the specifications when the teenagers are using them. Also, parents should have good compliance and, in addition to the regular follow-up visits required, should remove the lenses immediately and seek medical attention if their child experiences eye discomfort while wearing them.
Not everyone is suitable
High intraocular pressure, endothelial hypoxia, flat curvature, and large astigmatism are not suitable for keratoplasty lenses, nor are patients with acute conjunctivitis, severe trachoma, or corneal disease.
In order to be safe and effective, the wearer is required to have no contraindications to wearing contact lenses: generally, the child is required to be over 8 years of age and under 18 years of age with progressive myopia; myopia within 500 degrees; corneal astigmatism below 150 degrees; corneal curvature between 41.00 degrees and 46.00 degrees; best corrected visual acuity in one eye at 1.0 above and normal intraocular pressure; in addition, high corneal eccentricity and appropriate corneal thickness provide the basis for predicting the effect of wearing the lens. “In short, not all adolescents are suitable for wearing keratoplasty lenses.
The qualification must be recognized
It is understood that both the Chinese Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have approved the clinical use of keratoconus. However, as early as 2001, the State Ministry of Health clearly pointed out that: keratoplasty lenses registered with the State Drug Administration are medical supplies, and that fitting keratoplasty lenses is a medical practice that can only be done in medical institutions by specially trained optometrists.
Keratomileusis is a non-implantable organ and the process is a medical practice. Parents and myopic patients must go to a large hospital where the instruments and technology are excellent, remember not to go to non-medical institutions for fitting, not to be greedy for cheap, to prevent serious complications. First of all, choose a brand registered by the State Drug Administration; secondly, imported lenses should have their relevant production certificates, such as the lens box should indicate the specific number of the dispenser, test data, the name of the material, the manufacturer’s address, etc.; thirdly, there should be an after-sales guarantee, the fitting of corneal plastic lenses is not a one-step process for everyone, and those who do not fit well should have their lenses adjusted and replaced in a timely manner. Therefore, it is very important that the keratoplasty lenses used for children must be products registered and approved by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration.
The cost of wearing keratoplasty lenses is high, and a pair of lenses should be replaced in about 1 to 1.5 years, so wearers must have financial considerations.” Hong Hui revealed that “it is important to replace the lenses with new ones from time to time according to the corrective effect of the used lenses, and not to wear one pair of spectacle lenses to the end.
Choose lenses with high oxygen permeability
In addition, corneal plastic lens oxygen permeability value of up to 128, far more than the national regulations of the amount of oxygen permeability required to wear contact lenses at night; corneal plastic lens requires a full tear drop in the lens, and then put on, the eye and the lens between a layer of artificial tears, easy to tear alternation, will not form a direct wear and tear on the cornea to ensure safety.
Be sure not to underestimate the issue of the oxygen permeability value of keratoconus lenses. The international contact lens industry generally agrees that whether the oxygen permeability exceeds 125 is the criterion for whether the lens is safe to wear overnight. The higher the oxygen permeability, the better for your eye health.
”Myopia can be completely cured” is a misnomer
Keratoconus is a long-term myopia correction treatment. The effect is reversible, and once you stop wearing keratoplasty lenses, the cornea may return to its previous state. There is no technology in the medical field that can completely cure myopia, so controlling myopia progression is key. In the current youth myopia correction, wearing keratomileusis is only one of the methods, so doctors and parents should treat it scientifically. With the current technology, any claim that “corneal shaping lenses can completely cure myopia” is misleading. “Therefore, it is recommended that children before they finish elementary school should choose the safest frame glasses.”