Ortho-K Clinic
Ortho-K in Melbourne's west, from our Deer Park clinic. Clear vision from the moment you wake up, without glasses, daytime contacts, or surgery.
What is Ortho-K and how does it work?
Ortho-K (orthokeratology) uses custom-designed rigid gas permeable lenses that you wear overnight. While you sleep, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of your cornea. When you remove them in the morning, your cornea retains its new shape, giving you clear vision throughout the day without glasses or contact lenses.
Who Ortho-K is for
Ortho-K corrects mild to moderate short-sightedness, with or without mild astigmatism. Within that, the people who get the most from it tend to share a reason for wanting their days lens-free.
Perfect for active lifestyles
Footy, netball, martial arts, swimming, the gym. Athletes take to Ortho-K for an obvious reason: glasses get knocked about, and daytime contacts are their own problem in water. The correction is already done before you leave the house, so there is nothing in your eyes to shift, fog, or lose.
Physical and dusty work
Trades, emergency services, healthcare, warehouse floors. Safety glasses sit properly without frames underneath, and a long shift around dust or air conditioning is a great deal easier on eyes that are not wearing a lens through it.
Days without lenses or frames
For many people this is the part that changes the shape of a day rather than just the vision. No lens going in before work and drying out by mid-afternoon, nothing to fog up or slide down your nose at the gym, nothing to pack when you stay somewhere overnight. The wearing is done while you sleep, so the day itself asks nothing of you.
Children whose prescription keeps climbing
Most parents arrive here after a prescription has changed two years running. Studies show Ortho-K can reduce myopia progression by up to 60% in children and teens, and it suits active children who would otherwise be managing glasses through school and sport.
Adults weighing up laser surgery
Ortho-K is the non-surgical, reversible alternative. Nothing about your eye is permanently altered: stop wearing the lenses and your corneas return to where they started within a few days. For people who want the daytime result without an irreversible procedure, that reversibility is usually the deciding factor.
What the fitting involves
Ortho-K is fitted at our Deer Park clinic, serving Melbourne's western suburbs. The fitting runs across four stages.
01
Suitability assessment
Keratograph corneal topography maps the surface of your eye in detail, alongside a tear film assessment and a look at your prescription and general eye health. This is where we tell you whether overnight lenses can realistically correct your vision, and what result to expect if they can.
02
Lens design and first night
Your lenses are designed to your corneal map rather than picked off a shelf, so there is a wait while they are made. When they arrive, we fit them, teach you insertion, removal and cleaning, and send you home to wear them for the first night.
03
The first two weeks
Most of the change happens early, with vision continuing to settle over the first week or two of nightly wear. Vision can fluctuate through the day during this period, which is normal while the cornea is still adapting. We review you in this window to check the fit and how the eye surface is responding.
04
Ongoing aftercare
Once vision is stable, reviews move to a regular schedule to check corneal health, lens condition and, for children, how myopia is tracking. Lenses are replaced periodically as they wear. Your fitting fee covers the consultations and aftercare within the fitting period.
Common Questions About Ortho-K
Standard contact lenses correct your vision while you wear them during the day. Ortho-K works the opposite way: you wear the lenses at night and go without any correction during the day. The lenses reshape your cornea rather than sitting over it, so there is nothing on your eyes while you are awake.
For the best results, the lenses should be worn for at least six to eight hours each night. Most people simply put them in before bed and remove them when they wake up.
In the early stages, yes. Once your cornea adapts, some people find they can skip the occasional night and still see well the next day. Your optometrist will guide you based on how your eyes respond.
Ortho-K has been used globally for decades and is approved by health regulators including the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. As with any contact lens, there is a small risk of infection, but with proper hygiene and consistent lens care this risk is minimal. We will walk you through lens care and schedule regular follow-up visits to monitor your eye health.
The effect is fully reversible. Your cornea gradually returns to its original shape over a few days, and your vision returns to what it was before you started. Nothing is permanently altered, which is one of the main differences between Ortho-K and laser surgery. It also means the lenses need to be worn consistently to maintain clear vision.
Adults are fitted with Ortho-K regularly. Myopia control is the reason it is often discussed in relation to children, but the daytime freedom from glasses and lenses applies at any age. It is frequently chosen by adults in sport, shift work, or dusty and air-conditioned environments, and by people who would rather not have laser surgery or are not suitable for it.
Many people notice improved vision after the first night of wear. Full correction typically develops within one to two weeks of consistent overnight use, though individual results vary.
Fees
Ortho-K Fitting
Orthokeratology lenses
$1,800
Covers a two-year period and includes:
- Custom Ortho-K lenses
- All fitting consultations and corneal mapping
- Aftercare visits throughout the two-year period
Medicare rebates apply. Private health extras with optical cover can be claimed on the spot.
Written by Dr Steven Vu, BVisSc MOptom, optometrist at Westside Eyecare, Deer Park. Last updated 16 September 2026. This page is general information, not a substitute for a consultation.
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Find out if Ortho-K is right for you.
No cost, no obligation. We'll assess your eyes and tell you honestly whether overnight lenses are a good fit.