Our Services

General Optometric Care -  including Comprehensive Eye Health Exams

Our doctors are board certified to treat ocular disease and disorders. We manage and monitor for the cataracts, glaucoma, maculer degeneration, retinal disorders, infections and infectious and inflammatory eye conditions, provide diabetic eye examinations and regularly confer with your primary care physician.

With a combined experience of over 75 years we know how to fit any type of contact lens. We specialize in fitting previous Lasik, RK, PRK failures or patients with corneal disorders such as keratoconus and corneal ectasia.

Dr. Gollender is an expert in fitting scleral shell style contacts for advanced corneal disorders and provides myopia reduction with CRT (corneal refractive therapy) for the low to moderate nearsightedness for active children and teenagers.

Laser Refractive Surgery  Management is available for our adult patients.

Control nearsightedness with night time contact lenses

What are Ortho-K Contact Lenses?

A night time only contact lens.

How will this help me?
No need to wear glasses or contact lenses in the daytime. For anyone under 18 years old, it can slow down how nearsighted you might become.

What is Ortho-K

Orthokeratology (or ortho-k for short) is the fitting of a night-time only hard contact lens that reshapes the front surface of the eye (the cornea), which acts like a temporary LASIK. Think of it like retainers, but for your eyes.

Benefits of Ortho-K

No need to wear glasses or contact lenses in the daytime. Night time use of these lenses provide temporary vision correction. These lenses must be worn regularly, possibly every night to maintain the vision correction.
Myopia control - to slow the progression of childhood nearsightedness (myopia).

Who is a good candidate for Ortho-K lenses?

●  Nearsighted children with a small amount of astigmatism
●  Children whose parents are highly nearsighted
●  People with mild to moderate nearsightedness and astigmatism (note: Ortho-K can correct  distance vision only. Reading glasses may still be needed)

How comfortable are the Ortho-K lenses

Just like soft contact lenses, hard contact lenses require an adequate amount of time for the eyes to feel comfortable with them. Side-by-side, soft lenses are more comfortable. This is usually not an issue because lenses are only worn at night, and do not feel as uncomfortable with the eyes are closed compared to when they are open.

How do Ortho-K lenses work?

A rigid, gas-permeable (RGP) contact lens is worn at night. Due to the shape of the lens, pressure is applied overnight to reshape the cornea. After being worn for at least 6 hours, the cornea maintains the new shape, thereby correcting your prescription. This effect is temporary.

How long does the treatment last? What if I stop using them?

You should be able to see relatively well without glasses or contact lenses for 1-2 days, possibly longer. This depends on your cornea and the amount of prescription corrected. After about 1 week without using the lenses, most patients will be back to their original prescription. For best results, lenses should be worn every night.

Is LASIK an option?

Your doctor can help decide if you are a good candidate. Generally people under 20 years old should not have lasik because their vision changes often, usually every 1-2 years. If vision is stable after age 20, LASIK may be a good, permanent option. Up until this point, Ortho-K may be a better choice since lenses can be updated annually if needed. People with dry eye problems may also be disqualified for LASIK, but can still qualify for Ortho-K.

What to expect when starting Ortho-K

Before a custom lens is made, multiple measurements are taken of the eyes including your glasses prescription, corneal topography (map of the cornea), and keratometry (corneal curvature). These tests help the doctor choose the best lens for the eyes. Training on hard contact lens insertion, removal, and maintenance is required if the patient has not used hard lenses previously. Custom Ortho-K lenses will be ordered and may take at least 1 week to arrive. Back-to-back appointments are required for the first fitting of the lens, and the 1-day follow up after the lenses are worn for 1 night. This helps the doctor determine if the treatment is working.

How often should I be seen for an appointment?

A comprehensive eye exam is required to determine if you are a good candidate for Ortho-K. Once you are confirmed as a good candidate, the next visit is the initial Ortho-K contact lens fitting. Once the new lenses arrive, a dispensing appointment and a 1-day follow up is required. At this point, weekly appointments are needed to adjust the treatment as needed. This can take several appointments before getting to the final contact lenses. Once vision is clear enough with the new lenses, a 1 month follow up is required. Any follow up thereafter is as needed.

What results can you expect from Ortho-K?

Eye care professionals will aim for the vision to be 20/20, the standard of good vision. However, depending on your activities and how you use your eyes, vision may not be 20/20 but still clear enough for one to be comfortable going about their day. In the FDA clinical study for approval of Paragon CRT lenses, 93% of patients achieved 20/32 vision or better, and 67% achieved 20/20 or better.

How long does it take for maximum ortho-k effect?

It can take as soon as 1-2 days, but for higher prescriptions it can take 2 weeks or longer for the maximum vision correction. This is due to many factors including your glasses prescription, astigmatism, and the flexibility of your cornea.

Can I have Laser Vision Correction (LASIK or PRK) after Ortho-K? What about cataract surgery?

Yes! It is possible to have Laser Vision Correction after Ortho-K use. Because Ortho-K is reversible, if you don’t wear the lens for several weeks, the eyes will naturally bounce back to their original form. Both Ortho-K and Laser Vision Correction change the shape of the cornea, however Ortho-K is temporary, and Laser Correction is permanent.

Urgent Care

We provide emergency eye care during business hours, as well as certain on Saturdays when a doctor is available. Patients with unusual eye or vision symptoms should call to schedule a medical eye visit. We accept most medical insurance except HMO medical plans. In the case that we are unable to see you for care, you may pay out of pocket, and/or we may direct you to an urgent care facility if necessary.

Common Eye Problems

• Red Eyes
  • Eyes can become red for a variety of reasons. Many are from inflammation or eye infections. Dry eye, ocular allergy and bacterial or viral infections of the eyes are common reasons why people will develop eye redness. These are all treatable but must first be diagnosed.

• Foreign Bodies
  • If something gets into your eyes, the first step is to remove the object and flushing the  eyes for 5-10 minutes with saline or eye wash if available (tap water if necessary), and following up with an eye care professional.
  • A contact lens can sometimes get stuck behind the eyelids. If you are unable to get the  contact lens out, stop attempting to remove the lens because of risk of further irritation and injury. Your optometrist can locate the lens, remove it, and treat any injury to the eye.

• Eye pain
  • Eye pain can be caused by many things, from conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers, to internal eye inflammation. In rare cases, certain eye problems such as sudden high eye pressure or internal eye infections can lead to permanent loss of vision. Please call our office if you have any sudden eye pain.

• Flashes or floaters
  • Flashes and floaters are common problems that should be evaluated by an eyecare  professional. Flashes are the perception of light in the absence of actual light, while floaters appear like transparent dots or lines that move your vision.
  • A third symptom experienced by patients may appear as something blocking the vision.  Patients often describe these as a “curtain”, “cobweb”, or “shadows” that block part of the vision. These MAY be symptoms of a retinal detachment and are considered eye emergencies because permanent vision can be lost. See an eye professional immediately.

• Vision changes or vision loss
  • Vision loss can come from a variety of conditions including a stroke or wet macular degeneration. A retinal detachment can cause a “curtain” “cobweb” or “shadow” to block some of the vision. This may be a vision-threatening emergency and should be evaluated ASAP.

• Any unusual eye or vision changes

  • Seek care as soon as possible. Please give us a call and our knowledgeable staff will help you decide if you must be seen sooner than later.

• When in doubt, seek us out
  • You are the only one who can tell if there have been changes in your own vision or eye comfort. If you notice any unusual changes to the eye health or vision, feel free to give us a call. We can help you assess your situation and tell you if you need to be seen ASAP, or if you can afford to wait a few days. We have emergency eye appointments available the same day or next-day to help you with your problem.

Family Vision Care & Contact Lenses Optometric Center Dr. Paul R. Gollender, OD
Dr. Carlo G. Castro, OD

1263 Pleasant Grove Blvd, #100 Roseville, CA 95747
p: 916-773-1195