Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT)

Now you can be free of daytime contact lenses and glasses during your daily activities without undergoing surgery and enjoy great vision! Corneal Refractive Therapy is a non-surgical process clinically developed to reshape the cornea while you sleep, in a similar shape as achieved with LASIK. The result is the temporary correction of myopia when the lenses are removed upon waking.

What to expect after CRT
1. Once you have made the decision to start CRT, our doctors will make careful measurements of both your refractive error and map the curvature of the eye.

2. Then, you will be fitted with a CRT lens best suited to your prescription and cornea shape. You will often be able to start the very same night!

3. The nearsightedness will be reduced after one night, but may take 1-2 weeks to reach the maximum correction. During this time, you may need weaker glasses or contact lenses to function.

4. The effect of the correction will wear off towards the end of the day initially, but will last longer the longer you continue wearing the lenses at night. Usually the effect is stable for a 24-hour period in 2-3 weeks.

5. You will be asked to return for regular check ups to make sure that you are not experiencing any problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How new is CRT?
Contact lens corneal reshaping is not a new concept – the idea has been considered for over 20 years. Previous corneal reshaping designs were only as successful as technology allowed. The recent advancements in computerized corneal mapping, computerized manufacturing, and oxygen permeable contact lens materials has produced a therapeutic contact lens design that is like no other. This has allowed CRT to become one of the first to earn FDA approval for nighttime Corneal Refractive Therapy.

Is CRT Permanent?
No. It’s temporary. If you stop wearing the lenses regularly while you sleep, your vision will return to its original state in as little as 72 hours.

Can everyone wear CRT?
This lens is designed for individuals with low to moderate nearsightedness (up to –6.00 diopters) with or without astigmatism (up to –1.75 diopters). The maximum treatment for any given eye is dependent on several patient dependent features. Our doctors can assess your eyes and give you an idea what to expect.

There are no age restrictions for CRT, which makes it a great option for everyone in the family. However, since there are variations in patient physiology and visual needs, the decision for CRT, at any age, can only be made after a thorough eye exam and the recommendations of our doctors. At this time, hyperopia (farsightedness) is not correctable with CRT.

How long does it take to reach good vision?
Most patients have rapid improvement in the first few days of treatment and achieve nearly their optimum vision in 10 to 14 days.

What do I do to see adequately in the period of time between when I start CRT and when I achieve full treatment?
It’s important to understand that for a time after you have begun treatment, but before sufficient treatment is achieved, your old glasses or contacts will no longer be the appropriate prescription. It may involve wearing your CRT lenses for part of the day or some use of temporary soft lenses in different prescriptions as an option. Our doctors will discuss your options for visual correction during that transitional period of time.

Are there any risks involved with wearing Paragon CRT?
There is a small risk involved when any contact lens is worn. The risk between regular wear contacts lenses and CRT is similar – the risk is low with proper care for the lenses. There were no serious adverse events reported in the CRT FDA clinical studies.

Can I see with my CRT lenses in?
Yes. One of the great features of the CRT lens is that if you have to get up in the middle of the night, you will be able to see where you are going. Or, if during the initial treatment phase, you find you need some form of vision correction, you can wear your CRT lenses and see clearly.

How often will I have to replace my CRT lenses?
Generally speaking the CRT lenses will have to be replaced once a year. However, depending on factors such as protein build-up, how well the lenses are taken care of, etc., the lenses may have to be replaced more frequently.

Is Corneal Refractive Therapy painful?
The therapy is not painful. Initially, you may have a slight awareness of the therapeutic lens. You will not feel the lenses when you sleep and there is no sense of physical corneal change…. just visual improvement when the lenses are removed.