Corneal Refractive Therapy

CRT (Corneal Refractive Therapy) or VST (Vision Shaping Technology) or OK (Ortho Keratology) lens or Dream Lens is a revolutionary new technique which corrects your vision without the use of daytime contact lenses, eyeglasses, or risky surgery.  By using specialized contact lenses worn only at night, most patients can achieve 20/20 or near 20/20 vision during the day.  The process is reversible and only performed by a handful of certified optometrists in the state of Michigan, one of whom is Dr. Youn.

To be more specific, CRT is a corneal molding technique utilizing FDA approved specialized contact lenses. Both CRT and Lasik surgery achieve the same effect in improving vision by correcting the cornea. However, CRT does not involve any surgery.  The best CRT candidates are people of any age with nearsightedness up to -6.00 with or without astigmatism.  If you are in one of these groups and have a strong desire to have freedom from glasses and daytime contact lens wearing, then CRT could be perfect for you! 

How CRT Works:

CRT or VST lenses are worn at night while sleeping and are removed from the eyes first thing in the morning.   The molding effect of the cornea takes place rapidly while you sleep.  You are closely monitored by Dr. Youn as he uses special noninvasive corneal mapping techniques during the first few days when the majority of the eye correction will take place.  Typically, it takes about 3 to 7 days for a CRT patient to achieve a stable daytime correction, although it may take longer for higher prescription corrections.  We also normally provide soft contact lenses or will loan out a pair of eyeglasses for the first 2-3 days until your eyes achieve full correction and you can go without any corrective lenses during the day. 

Because of its non-invasive nature and reversibility, this treatment is suitable for children ages 7 years and older.  People older than 40 years of age are also very good candidates because their correction can be adjusted as often as necessary to reduce the use of reading glasses.  These and other patients who normally undergo frequent prescription changes are excellent candidates for CRT because of its flexibility.  In addition, because CRT lenses are worn only at night, people with sensitive eyes, mild dryness or contact lens sensitivity also make great candidates.