Myopia Management

Is your child’s prescription getting worse? In addition to the hassle of getting a new prescription every year and not being able to see without glasses, myopia puts patients at risk of damage from vision-threatening conditions as they age.

Bright Eyes is one of Tampa’s leading offices in myopia management. Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford has been providing myopia treatment for over 15 years. He is a fellow in the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control, often speaking at national conferences. Dr. Sylvester and Dr. Bonilla-Warford are also clinicians in a nationwide study of myopia treatment using contact lenses.

At Bright Eyes, we offer several research-based Myopia Management programs: Orthokeratology (overnight contacts), Multifocal Soft Contact Lenses and Prescription Eye Drops. The first year of the program involves up to 8 office visits. After the prescription is stabilized, the Myopia Renewal includes an annual evaluation and 1-3 follow-up visits per year. We want to ensure the best results for your child!

Call us for a Myopia Consultation to discuss the best options for your child’s future vision.

Frequently Asked Questions About Myopia Management

What is Myopia and how does it put vision at risk?

Myopia is the medical term for nearsightedness, a condition where near objects look clear, but far objects look blurry. Myopia is caused by the structure and shape of the eye: the length of the eyeball and the curvature of the cornea (front surface of the eye). This causes light to focus improperly on the back of the eye.

In children, increasing myopia means that the eyes are lengthening, causing a permanent change to the shape of the eye. High prescriptions lead to stretching of the retinal tissue, leading to higher risk of retinal detachments, macular degeneration and glaucoma over time. These conditions can cause partial or full blindness later in life.

What causes myopia?

Children whose parents have myopia are genetically predisposed to develop myopia. But that’s only one factor.

Recent studies point to our modern-day environment: More time indoors looking at books and digital devices, and less time outdoors looking at objects far away. Increased screen time is likely a strong factor. Changes in schoolwork, diet, exercise and exposure to sunlight may be related too.

There is no cure for myopia because you cannot “shrink” the length of the eye. Glasses and contacts can help you see clearly, but do not solve the underlying causes of myopia. Not wearing glasses or wearing the wrong glasses can be worse: myopia progresses - and- the child can’t see. Some parents ask about Lasik. Lasik changes the shape of the cornea so that you can see clearly without glasses or contacts, but the shape of the eye is the same. But there are proven methods for slowing the progression of myopia so it doesn’t keep increasing.

What age is best for Myopia Management?

Myopia begins to develop in school-aged children and progresses until the late teens. The goal of myopia management is to stabilize the prescription early. The sooner treatment begins, the lower the final prescription will be into adulthood. This means better vision and reduced risk of eye diseases.

Our office offers different treatment options and your child may change programs as they grow. Many of our young patients start with prescription eye drops, then move into contact lenses as they mature. We have had children as young as 6 become successful with using contact lenses, while some kids may not be ready until their teen years.

What is a Myopia Consultation?

If you or your eye doctor are concerned that your child’s myopia may significantly increase over time, call us to schedule a Myopia Consultation.

At the consultation, we measure the refractive error (eyeglass prescription), the length of the eye from front to back (axial length) and the shape of the corneas (front of the eyes). We compare current prescriptions to previous prescriptions, and analyze axial length compared with the average axial length for your child’s age. The doctor will review family history and risk factors, and then discuss treatment options for your child based on the findings.

You must have a comprehensive eye exam before a Myopia Consultation to make sure the eyes are healthy (within 6 months). We can schedule the consultation at the same visit as an comprehensive eye exam, or if a child is referred, after we receive results from the previous eye exam. The consultation fee is $150. If treatment is recommended and started within 90 days, this consultation fee will be credited towards the treatment plan.

Myopia Program: Soft Multifocal Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses are worn during the day to improve clarity of sight. Multifocal soft contact lenses change the visual stimulus on young eyes, including both distance clarity and good near vision.

Myopia Program: Orthokeratology (Overnight Lenses)

Also known as Ortho-K, Orthokeratology is a process where patients wear a reshaping contact lens (similar to a “hard” contact lens) during sleeping hours. The lens temporarily reshapes the front surface of the cornea overnight, and when they remove the lens in the morning, they can see clearly all day without glasses or contacts. A benefit to wearing the lenses nightly is that Ortho-K significantly slows the rate of myopia progression.

Myopia Program: Atropine Eye Drops

Atropine is an established medication used to dilate the pupils, but in lower doses has been proven to reduce myopia progression without dilating the eyes. Patients use one drop per eye nightly and wear glasses or contacts during the day.
 

How much is the Myopia Management Program?

The first year of the Myopia Management program includes the initial evaluation, up to 8 follow-up visits and all materials (such as contact lenses, eyedrops or eyeglasses). The fee for the first year program is $2,640 for any of the 3 tracks. We do offer payment options such as monthly payment options through PayPal Pay Later, HSA/FSA payments and even a pay-in-full discount.

After the prescription is stabilized, the Myopia Renewal is $495 which includes an annual evaluation and 3 follow-up visits per year to monitor the prescription and axial length. The Renewal Fee does not include the annual comprehensive eye exam, which may be scheduled at Bright Eyes or with your referring eye doctor. Patients will purchase eyedrops, glasses or contact lenses as needed. We can quote specifics during the consultation.

Is the testing or treatment covered by my vision or medical insurance?

Unfortunately, we are not in-network with any medical insurance plans, except standard Medicare. Medical insurance considers Myopia Management to be an elective procedure, so they do not cover treatment. Vision plans like VSP or Eyemed only cover well visits, not specialized testing such as the Myopia Consultation. In some cases, vision plans may cover some costs of contact lenses or eyeglasses needed for myopia treatment. We offer a discount if we are able to bill your vision plan for contacts or eyeglasses.