SKILLS WORKSHOP

3 CPD

A beginner's guide to orthokeratology for myopia management

About the session

CPD ref: C-108399

Description

Orthokeratology (ortho-k) has been around in some form since the 1960s but has seen increased popularity in recent years due to the growing evidence of the slowing of myopia progression when fitted to myopic children.

A common misconception of ortho-k is that it’s complicated and that you need to be a contact lens expert & understand topography maps in great detail to fit these lenses successfully. In reality, eye care professionals already have most of the skills needed to be a successful ortho-k practitioner and modern fitting philosophies make lens parameter selection easier than ever before. Sharing topography maps with technical support teams via simple software means that amendments to the fit when needed can be made just as easily. 

This workshop focusses in on the four key outcomes that define a successful ortho-k fit for myopia management: good vision, good corneal health, good comfort, and good control of myopia progression. We’ll explore topography capture, patient selection, on eye lens characteristics, & methods of assessing myopia progression and how they relate to achieving these outcomes. Learning how to interpret topography maps and the role they play in making ortho-k fitting easy will completely change your view on the complexity of ortho-k.

No prior experience of ortho-k or topography is needed, just an interest in this exciting modality. 

This session fulfils the requirement specified for Part B of the BCLA Myopia Management Course.

Target Audience

  • Optometrist
  • Contact Lens Optician

Domains and learning outcomes

Communication

2.5 Ensure that patients or their carers have all the information they need to safely use, administer or look after any OrthoK Lenses, and treatment plan that they have been prescribed or directed to use in order to manage their eye conditions. This includes being actively shown how to use their lenses and wearing schedule

Clinical practice

5.1 Be competent in all aspects of your OrthoK work, including clinical practice, supervision and teaching.

7.1 Conduct an adequate assessment for the purposes of fitting Orthok lenses, including where necessary any relevant medical, family and social history of the patient. This may include current symptoms, personal beliefs or cultural factors.

Specialty CPD - contact lens optician

Keep up to date with different options for myopia management, what is available and how to get a good understanding of OrthoK

Chair

Nick Howard FBCLA

Nick Howard qualified as a Contact Lens Optician in 1984, working primarily with challenging ocular conditions and complex contact lenses. Part time lecturer, trainer and presenter at conferences, hospitals and Universities at local, national and international events, having authored a number of articles published in the professional optical journals.

Winner of prestigious Contact Lens Optician of the Year award in 2012, received Fellowship of the BCLA and currently a BCLA Council member and Faculty speaker. Now working in two Lancashire hospitals fitting specialty contact lenses, also independent practice, developing innovative techniques for the management of myopia and dry eye.

Speaker

Katie Harrop BSc FBCLA MCOptom

Katie Harrop qualified as an optometrist in 1999. She worked in private practice for a number of years fitting many types of contact lenses. She joined No7 Contact Lenses in 2005 as Professional Services Manager. She was made Professional Services Director in 2018. In 2023 she was appointed as Senior Manager, Global Professional Education in CooperVision’s Global Professional Services Team.

Since joining the contact lens industry Katie has presented widely on many contact lens related subjects particularly orthokeratology, RGP lenses, scleral and hybrid lenses and lenses for the irregular cornea both in the UK and overseas. She has provided education on Orthokeratology, RGP and scleral lenses for undergraduates at many of the UK optometry departments. She is a former BCLA council member and is a BCLA Fellow.

Facilitators 

Chris Harrop

Chris qualified as an optometrist in 2001 and has practiced in a busy hight street practice in Brighton ever since. He is Professional Services Manager for the Eyesite group and has a particular interest in contact lenses and instrumentation. He has fitted orthokeratology lenses since 2006 and has facilitated workshops in ortho-k and other specialist lenses.

Ian Sexton FBCLA

Mr Sexton is a Contact Lens Optician with many years’ experience fitting specialist contact lenses. He is Professional Services Consultant at CooperVision and has been speaking widely on Specialist lenses for a number of years and regularly carries out lens fitting workshops. He also works in the hospital eye service where he regularly fits contact lenses to patients with all types of corneal ectasia, post graft etc. He is a BCLA & IACLE Fellow.

Danielle Lee

Topcon's Clinical Affairs Manager, Dani, graduated with a degree in Medical Biochemistry and before joining Topcon spent 7 years working in a number of roles across the Bristol Eye Hospital, primarily between the Imaging and Research departments. Through this work she gained experience in a wide range of ophthalmic imaging techniques across the anterior and posterior segment, as well as coordinating the set-up, running, and maintenance of a variety of different ophthalmic trials of different phases. In 2020 Dani joined the Clinical Affairs team, supporting eyecare professionals through delivery of training and education across the range of Topcon devices.