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A safe,
revolutionary method of vision
correction while the patient sleeps,
involving reshaping the cornea
without surgery is now available in
the Dallas-Forth Worth area through
Michel J. Gambino, O.D., Doctor of
Optometry, Gambino Eye Associates,
Addison, Texas.
Non Surgical
Vision Correction using Bausch &
Lomb’s Vision Shaping Treatment™ utilizes
custom-designed gas permeable
contact lenses worn only at night to
change the shape of the cornea. The
lenses are removed in the morning
and clear vision is retained all day
without glasses or contacts. Vision
Shaping Treatment™ is safe and
effective for both children and
adults.
For growing children
whose vision is becoming worse each
year, modern Vision Shaping
Treatment™
actually eliminates nearsightedness
and prevents it from worsening. It
is particularly attractive to
adolescents, teens, and adults with
active lifestyles, those who
participate in sports such as
swimming, or who are exposed to
dust, dirt, or pollens that can
cause problems for wearers of
regular contact lenses.
In June 2002, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) first granted
approval to a type of overnight
corneal reshaping and since that
time, more approvals have followed.
In June 2004, several additional
designs were approved, and in 2005,
Bausch & Lomb introduced its Vision
Shaping Treatment™ (VST) program
using the Boston name. This is the
system used by Dr. Michel Gambino at
Gambino Eye Associates (www.seebetterdallas.com).
The FDA has approved the treatment
for people of any age with up to
five diopters of nearsightedness
(-5.00 on your prescription).
Astigmatism on the cornea up to
–1.50 can also be treated. In the
clinical study for FDA approval of
one Vision Shaping Treatment™
design, about 95% achieved vision
correction of 20/40 or better and
73% achieved 20/20 or better.
Patients were followed over at least
a 9-month period.
Contact lens manufacturers have
trademarked this process under
various names. Dr. Gambino has been
certified by Bausch & Lomb to
utilize its Vision Shaping
Treatment™ (VST) process for
overnight corneal reshaping using
its Boston lens material. The rigid,
gas-permeable material used for the
lenses are more comfortable,
wettable, and more permeable to
oxygen than ever before.
Patients seeking a safe alternative
to LASIK vision correction surgery,
or those who have worn 30-day
continuous wear soft contacts who
wish they didn’t have to wear
contacts throughout the day, may be
candidates for this revolutionary
alternative. Dr. Gambino notes, “One
of many benefits of Vision Shaping
Treatment™ over LASIK is that Vision
Shaping Treatment™ is reversible.
You have not surgically changed the
surface of the cornea and if the
lenses are no longer worn, your
vision will return to the way it was
before you used VST.”
Prospective patients must first have
their current vision prescription
evaluated to determine if he or she
is a good candidate for the Vision
Shaping treatment (VST) process.
Next, a corneal mapping procedure is
scheduled. The curvatures of the
cornea are mapped using a
computerized instrument called a
corneal topographer. The painless
procedure takes only a minute and
produces a map of the eye’s surface.
From the information gathered on the
corneal map, custom lenses are
created utilizing computer-assisted
design (CAD) on a computer-operated
lathe.
After the lenses have been created,
the patient is scheduled for a visit
to try them out. Sometimes, more
than one lens is required to obtain
the optimal vision result. Dr.
Gambino’s patients initially wear
the lenses 24 hours a day during an
adjustment period of several days,
and come into the office for vision
checks before beginning to wear them
only during nighttime hours while
they sleep.
Follow-up corneal mapping enables Dr
Gambino to ensure the cornea is
being reshaped so that optimal
vision is achieved during daytime
hours. Then, patients can retain
their vision correction by wearing
the lenses only at night;
eventually, for some, every second
or third night. If the patient
doesn’t wear the lenses for several
nights, he or she will start to see
a change in their vision and will
need to wear the lenses again to
regain their vision correction.
The Vision Shaping Treatment™ procedure was
first used experimentally more than
40 years ago using a series of hard
contact lenses to flatten the cornea
over a period of months or years. In
1973, soft contact lenses first
appeared. Later in the decade, gas
permeable hard contacts were
introduced—now used for the corneal
shaping treatment. A resurgence of
the Ortho-K method came about in the
mid-1990’s with the advent of
corneal topography. From the corneal
map, custom-designed contact lenses
could be created which allowed the
surface of the cornea to be reshaped
in a controlled way.
Prior to FDA approval for overnight
use, many eye doctors in the U.S.,
including Dr. Gambino, used their
discretion in successfully using
approved lenses for the Ortho-K
procedure. Patients who have used
the lenses for corneal reshaping for
10-12 years are still in contact
with Dr. Gambino and have shared
their long-term success with this
method of vision correction.
While Dr. Gambino successfully
treated hundreds of patients using
the procedure during this time
period, he notes the treatment
wasn’t fully embraced by the medical
community in the United States until
FDA approval of both the lens
material and the Vision Shaping
Treatment™
process of using corneal mapping and
custom lathes for creating the
lenses was received in 2004. Eye
doctors in countries outside the
U.S. have utilized the Ortho-K
procedure for many years due to
differences in regulatory controls
and bodies.
Dr. Gambino has
completed Bausch & Lomb’s
Interactive Educational Program and
is certified as an Vision Shaping
Treatment™
practitioner.
Free consultations may be
scheduled by calling 972-386-9646.
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