Correct your vision while you sleep

No daytime contacts. No glasses. No surgery. Just great vision. This is the goal of one of the most promising new technologies to correct nearsightedness (or myopia). It is called “Paragon Corneal Refractive Therapy” or “CRT.” It is a non-surgical procedure that allows people to enjoy good vision 24 hours a day without the hassles of glasses and daytime contacts, and it is available here on Saipan.

For many years now, LASIK, the popular surgical method of correcting nearsightedness has been available in most metropolitan areas. However, every surgery has some risks, and although the risks with LASIK are small, there are quite a few websites that document the problems that many have faced. CRT, the new method, does not require surgery, and for this reason, it is considered by many to be a safer, less expesive option to LASIK. CRT involves the use of therapeutic contact lenses that are worn during the sleeping hours. The lenses gently reshapes the corneas. In the morning, you take the lenses out and are able to see well throughout the day. The lenses are worn each night and removed each morning.

The procedure is available for those who have up to -6.00 of myopia and up to 1.75 of astigmatism. It is ideal for anyone involved in sports, scuba divers and swimmers, those working in dry or dusty environments where contact lenses can be irritating, those who simply want to see clearly without their glasses or contacts or those who do not want to undergo the risk or the expense of a surgical procedure. LASIK is able to treat individuals with higher degrees of myopia and astigmatism, as well as hyperopia or “farsightedness”. So, if you have a very high prescription or are farsighted, you are not eligible for CRT. Of those who are eligible, the results can be remarkable. Paragon reports that over 94 percent of patients achieve vision of 20/30 or better within two weeks of initiating therapy.

Unlike LASIK, CRT is reversible and, in Food and Drug Administration trials, there were no adverse effects reported from Paragon CRT. The risks associated with CRT lenses are no greater than regular contact lens wear. Generally, eye specialists recommend that contact lenses not be worn overnight, because of the increased risk of infection with overngith wear. However, Paragon CRT lenses have been specifically approved by the FDA for wear during sleep and there have been no reported infections as a result of Paragon CRT use.

Another benefit of CRT is that the FDA did not place any age restrictions on Paragon CRT. Teenagers and young adults are among the most active and style conscious individuals. CRT is popular among them because it gives freedom from the hassles of glasses and daytime contacts. And since CRT is reversible, inducing a permanent change in a young eye is not a concern.

If you have been considering refractive surgery, and your perscription is in the acceptable range, Paragon CRT is a new option that is available to correct nearsightedness. Paragon has put together a very nice website, www.paragoncrt.com, that explains CRT in detail. The website has several video-clips of people sharing their experience with having CRT. It also includes a comprehensive list of Freqeuntly Asked Questions and a list of certified doctors in the Northern Mariana Islands.

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David Khorram, MD is a board certified ophthalmologist, and director of Marianas Eye Institute. Questions and comments are welcome. Call 235-9090 or email davidkhorram@hotmail.com. Copyright © 2005 David Khorram.