Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT)

Corneal Refractive Therapy is a non-surgical process that uses a therapeutic lens to gently reshape your cornea while you sleep, resulting is the temporary correction of nearsightedness (with or without moderate astigmatism).

The CRT lenses are similar in appearance to standard contact lenses. They are removed upon waking, often offering freedom from glasses and contact lenses during the day.

CRT is for:

Children or adults who are mildly nearsighted.
Those who don't want to wear glasses or contacts during the day.
Those who have no health issues affecting their eyes.

What to expect:

CRT lenses are made from an overnight contact lens material designed specifically for this purpose. You'll put the lenses in every night before you go to bed.

When you remove your lenses in the morning, your reshaped cornea will allow light to focus correctly on the retina. The result is clear, natural vision for all or most of your waking hours.

Most patients have rapid improvement in the first few days of treatment and achieve their optimum vision in 10 to 14 days.

Your lenses should be chemically disinfected after every use. Your doctor will let you know what care system is best for you, and when your lenses should be replaced.

Realistic expectations:

The goal of CRT is to reduce your daytime dependence on corrective lenses. However, we cannot guarantee you will have the results you desire. The vast majority of our patients are extremely happy with CRT.

There is a small risk involved when any contact lens is worn. It is not expected that the lenses used in CRT provide a risk greater than other contact lenses. Because this procedure is reversible, some patients may notice changes in their vision late in the day.

Alternatives to CRT:

CRT is not the only option for correcting nearsightedness. To learn about other procedures go to the surgical and laser vision correction procedures section of our Web Site. If you would like to learn more about vision correction procedures from sources other than our practice, we encourage you to link to a number of Web sites we feel provide factual and up-to-date information. You may also choose to make an appointment, attend a seminar or request additional information to learn more about this exciting procedure.