Myopia Journey: Two Years with Ortho-K: Lily and Reuben’s Myopia Management Update

It has now been two years since Lily and Reuben started wearing their Ortho-K lenses, so we went back for their latest check-up to see how they were getting on.

For anyone new to our family’s myopia journey, Lily and Reuben both wear orthokeratology lenses, often called Ortho-K lenses. These are specially designed contact lenses that are worn overnight while they sleep. The lenses gently reshape the front surface of the eye, so that during the day they can usually see clearly without glasses or contact lenses.

But for us, Ortho-K has never just been about convenience. The main reason we chose this route was to help manage their childhood myopia and try to slow down how quickly their eyes change as they grow.

Two years in, this latest appointment gave us a useful chance to look back at their progress.

A steady couple of years

During the appointment, their optometrist explained that things had been going well overall.

There had been a very marginal change in their prescriptions over the last year, and across the full two years of wearing Ortho-K lenses the change had been much smaller than might otherwise have been expected.

As he explained in the video, over the two-year period there had been roughly around 0.50D of change. Without myopia management, that level of change could potentially have happened in a much shorter time, possibly even within six months.

That is exactly why regular reviews are so important. Myopia management is not something where you fit a treatment once and then forget about it. Children’s eyes continue to grow, their prescriptions can continue to change, and the lenses need to be monitored to make sure they are still doing the right job.

For Lily and Reuben, the message was encouraging: their myopia has still changed slightly, but it appears to have changed much more slowly than we might have expected without treatment.

A small issue with Lily’s vision

One thing that came up during the appointment was that Lily’s vision was slightly less sharp than expected.

The likely reason was not necessarily that her eyes had changed significantly, but that her lenses may not have been getting cleaned thoroughly enough after use.

This was a really useful reminder that Ortho-K only works properly when the lenses are cared for properly. The optometrist explained that protein deposits or other build-up on the lenses can affect how well they work overnight. If the lenses are not cleaned properly, the correction may not be quite as clear the next day.

Lily was reminded to clean the lenses carefully every time she takes them out. That means placing the lens in the palm of the hand, adding a few drops of cleaning solution, and giving it a proper rub on both surfaces, ideally counting to around 20 to make sure the lens has had a really good clean.

It is a simple step, but an important one.

Why lens cleaning matters with Ortho-K

For children using Ortho-K, lens hygiene is a big part of successful treatment.

The lenses are worn overnight, so they need to be clean, comfortable and free from deposits. Poor cleaning can cause a few problems. It may make the lenses less comfortable, it may affect the quality of vision, and it may reduce how well the lenses reshape the eye during sleep.

For parents, this is one of the areas where it is worth checking in regularly. Children can become very independent with Ortho-K, which is brilliant, but that also means they can sometimes start cutting corners.

A quick reminder every now and then can make a big difference.

Tweaking the lens design

The next step for both Lily and Reuben is a small adjustment to their lens design.

Their optometrist explained that he was going to tweak the lenses slightly to try to get a little more effect and hopefully give them sharper vision. This is another normal part of Ortho-K care. As children grow, and as their eyes change, the lens design may need to be refined.

That does not mean anything has gone wrong. In many ways, it shows why follow-up appointments matter so much. The lenses are being actively managed, rather than simply left as they were two years ago.

The plan is to review them again in around six months.

What we have learned after two years

Two years into Ortho-K, our main feeling is that the journey has been really positive.

It has given Lily and Reuben clear vision during the day without needing to wear glasses. It has become part of their normal routine. And, most importantly, their myopia progression appears to have been relatively well controlled so far.

That does not mean Ortho-K is effortless. There is still responsibility involved. The lenses have to be inserted properly, removed carefully, cleaned thoroughly and reviewed regularly by an eye care professional.

But for our family, the benefits have been significant.

The biggest lesson is that myopia management is not a one-off decision. It is an ongoing process. The treatment needs to be monitored, the children need support, and small details, such as lens cleaning, can make a real difference.

Why this matters

When Lily and Reuben were first diagnosed with myopia, like many parents, we thought it simply meant they needed glasses.

But myopia is about more than blurry distance vision. In childhood, myopia often progresses as the eye grows. The more myopia progresses, the greater the chance that a child may become a higher myope later in life, which can increase the risk of certain eye health problems in adulthood.

That is why we decided to explore myopia management properly.

Our hope in sharing these videos and updates is that other parents will feel more informed and more confident asking questions. If your child has been diagnosed with myopia, it is worth asking your optometrist about myopia management options, including Ortho-K, specialist contact lenses, myopia control glasses and atropine eye drops.

Not every option is right for every child, but parents deserve to know that options exist.

Watch the video

In this update, Lily and Reuben talk briefly about reaching the two-year point with their Ortho-K lenses, and their optometrist explains how their eyes have changed, why lens cleaning matters, and what happens next.

Watch the full video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfpiFPiJNKA

Final thoughts

Two years on, Ortho-K has become a normal part of life for Lily and Reuben.

Their progress has been encouraging, but the appointment was also a helpful reminder that myopia management is an ongoing journey. Regular check-ups, careful lens hygiene and small adjustments to treatment all play a part.

For us, the most important thing is that we are not simply waiting for their eyes to get worse. We are actively managing their myopia, monitoring their progress, and doing what we can to protect their long-term eye health.