Orthokeratology Lens Market

Orthokeratology is also known as ortho-k, corneal refractive therapy (CRT), and overnight vision correction therapy. It is a non-surgical method used to correct refractive errors by reshaping the curvature of the cornea to improve object visibility. This procedure is a temporary treatment method used for the correction of myopia, hypermetropia, and other eye-related problems.

In the orthokeratology therapy, rigid gas permeable contact lenses are worn overnight that reshapes the curvature of the cornea to improve object visibility. The use of ortho-k lenses eliminates the need for daytime contact lenses or glasses and improves vision.

The key factors responsible for driving the market are growing prevalence of refractive errors across the globe, advancements in the field of ophthalmology, low cost compared to laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses (LASIK) treatment and increasing preference for nonsurgical eye treatment methods. Also, the low cost compared to other treatment methods boosts market growth. According to the World Health Organization, high myopia and myopia are likely to affect 10.0% (925 million) and 52% (4949 million) of the world’s population, respectively by 2050.

However, factors such as the availability of alternatives for the treatment and risk associated with orthokeratology hamper market growth.

A rise in the number of individuals with refractive errors such as myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and presbyopia increases the demand for innovative treatment methods. Myopia is reported as the most common disorder affecting a large number of populations worldwide. The World Health Organization 2018 fact sheet estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people were living with some form of vision impairment. It also reported that 188.5 million patients have a mild vision impairment, 217 million people have moderate to severe vision impairment, and 36 million people are blind, globally.

Orthokeratology is a new innovative non-surgical treatment method which is mostly recommended for myopia patients with different age groups. Such an increasing rate of ophthalmology disorders is growing at an alarming rate.

Myopia or (near-sightedness) hypermetropia and other vision-related problems can be caused due to numerous reasons in humans, and the use of orthokeratology could help to cure this disorder. Hence, the increasing incidence of myopia is projected to drive the demand for orthokeratology within the global market over the forthcoming years. According to the World Health Organization fact sheet 2018, it was reported that 1.3 billion people are affected by some form of distance or near vision impairment across the world.

Furthermore, the presence of trained ophthalmologists has also led to the inflow of large revenues into the global market for orthokeratology. It is safe to estimate that the global market for orthokeratology would cross all previous landmarks of growth in terms of revenues and volume of sales over the next decade.

The accessibility of advanced lens types that can help in the easy reshaping of the cornea has also propelled demand within the global market for orthokeratology. Furthermore, orthokeratology can be conducted without inflicting pain in the eye, which has led to the popularity of this technique amongst the masses.

Orthokeratology is associated with an increased risk of microbial infection, bacterial infection, or inflammation of the cornea. The children and teenagers are more susceptible to have this infection due to less able than adults to maintain clean hand and contact lens hygiene. Under various studies, it is reported that a huge number of populations go to the doctor because of eye infections.

Orthokeratology can be more dangerous than other contact lenses because it is more prone to cause infections and may have serious effects because of which the patient may face lifelong vision loss. In some cases, wearing contact lenses overnight causes hypoxia (a large supply of oxygen) which leads to swelling in corneal.

These lenses are not recommended for patients having dry eye, eye injury, or problems that affect the cornea. Also, the patients allergic to any ingredient, such as thimerosal or mercury, which are used for contact lenses are not allowed to use these lenses. The side-effects mentioned above associated with this therapy concerns patients and hampers market growth.