Corneal Molding

Yes! Corneal molding was approved by the FDA in 2002 and is safe as well as reversible. There is a slight risk of infection, as with any type of contact lens wear, but this can be treated by our doctors with antibiotic drops and avoided by following our recommended lens cleaning and disinfecting regimen that will be discussed at your visit.

Although corneal molding has been around for years, it is not nearly as common as being prescribed standard glasses or contact lenses. A successful fitting process requires specialized optical measuring equipment, advanced training, and years of experience. We are proud to be one of the few practices in the northeast Ohio area that have been trained and certified to offer this elite style of myopia management!

Corneal molding is approved for correcting mild to moderate amounts of prescription. Generally, we are able to effectively correct up to -5.00 diopters (D) of myopia as well as lesser degrees of astigmatism.

Yes! Although corneal molding is designed to help slow the progression of myopia throughout childhood, it can also be used for adults who would benefit from not having to wear daytime corrective lenses. This can be especially helpful to athletes, those who work in dusty or dirty environments, or anyone who wants to experience improved vision without undergoing surgery.

You may feel that your child isn’t ready for the responsibility of daily contact lenses just yet, but this doesn’t necessarily exclude them from a myopia management plan!

Many children excel with corneal molding lenses since they are only worn at night and they are able to handle the lenses in the comfort of their home. They are typically motivated by the idea of not having to wear their glasses and are less likely to lose or abuse their lenses compared to daytime lens wearers.

As with any type of contact lenses, corneal molding lenses require a certain level of responsibility, maturity, and dexterity for healthy and successful wear. If it is decided your child is not a good candidate for any type of lenses at this time, we may still have the option of atropine therapy for managing their myopia!

Testing for myopia control is more extensive than what is performed at a standard annual eye exam. Each of the below tests is non-invasive, and your comfort is our top priority. We are happy to explain anything you or your child have questions about on the day of your consultation.

• Axial length and retinal shape measurements

• Corneal topography and choroidal thickness measurements

• Cycloplegic axial and peripheral autorefraction

• Lifestyle questionnaire to determine the amount of time spent outdoors and doing near-work

• Ocular health assessment

• Discussion of the results

• Development of a personalized treatment plan

In most cases, it typically takes about one to four weeks to achieve clear vision, but depending on your initial prescription, you may see an improvement in as little as one day! Our doctors may provide temporary soft contact lenses to use until we reach optimum daytime vision.

The clear vision that results from wearing corneal molding lenses is transient, meaning if you stop wearing them the front surface of your eye (the cornea) will return to its normal shape and you would need to return to wearing daytime glasses or contact lenses.

​​​​​​​Since standard glasses and contacts do not slow the progression of myopia, if your child stops wearing their corneal molding lenses, their prescription will continue to worsen with time.

If you decide that you’d like your child to stay with standard daytime glasses or contact lenses for now we have plenty of wonderful options! However, please remember that this form of treatment is temporary and that without preventative management, your child’s myopia will continue to worsen with time. Your child’s prescription by adulthood will be much higher than it would be with prevention, which increases their risk of developing certain ocular diseases later in life. This could also potentially result in drivers license restrictions and the inability to work certain jobs such as a pilot or a police officer. You may schedule an appointment with our Myopia Management team at any time, although the sooner preventative treatment begins the more successful it will be!

If you can answer yes to any of the below questions, you may be a great candidate for corneal molding! Additional testing performed at your consultation will help us confirm your candidacy and treatment potential.

• Do your child’s eyes keep getting worse every year?

• Do you dislike the look or feel of glasses?

• Are you interested in LASIK but not yet ready or qualified?

• Is your child being bullied for wearing glasses and/or refusing to wear them?

• Would you like to hike, camp, swim, or exercise without having to wear glasses or contacts?

• Are you constantly losing or breaking your glasses?

• Do you (or your child) have a tendency to abuse or overwear your contact lenses?

• Are you tired of your glasses fogging up, sliding down, or getting dirty?

• Do you have dry eyes or allergies that prevent you from comfortably wearing your contacts?

• Would you like to help protect your child’s ocular health and avoid potentially blinding diseases in the future?

• Are you an athlete who is hindered by glasses?

• Do you work in a dusty or dirty environment that is always coating your contacts or glasses?

• Does your job require good vision without the assistance of glasses or contacts?
  
  

If you or your child can answer yes to any of these questions, and you are in the northeast Ohio area (particularly Akron, Fairlawn, Uniontown/Green, and Newton Falls), call our office to schedule an appointment and mention you are interested in meeting with our Myopia Management team!