Stellest for myopia control

[Anonymous]

hi. My eye doctor said my 8 year old now needs glasses and because the change over the past year is dramatic, suggested Stellest lenses.

They are incredibly expensive and the pressure from the doctor to get them immediately from Lenscrafters gave me a wierd vibe....(the doctors office is next to lenscrafters).

Please let me know if your child has worn these and what your experience was.

Any other options for myopia control?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

MiSight contacts

[Anonymous]

Every optometrist (barely a "doctor") except for Costco's "Independent Doctors of Optometry" is a glorified eyeglasses sales leadgen.

[Anonymous]

We do not use LensCrafters for anything. An optometrist next door to an eyeglass shop might have a financial arrangement with that eyeglass shop; there is no way to be certain. So smart shoppers shop around.

If a strong prescription, then a lens with a high Index of Refraction (e.g., 1.67 or larger) lens can help cosmetically, by thinning the lens needed. Such lenses are available at nearly all eyeglass places.

I would suggest you at least go to “Warby Parker”, either online or at Tysons Corner Center in person, to get an alternate price quote. I just bought online from Warby Parker and also from 39DollarGlasses.com; either one was much cheaper than LensCrafters or their ilk for equivalent eyeglasses. I have a strong eyeglass prescription, use high-index lenses, with an astigmatism, and I use progressives, so my Rx is complicated. They both handled it just fine. Good quality results.

[Anonymous]

One could go to another optometrist - or maybe a pediatric ophthalmologist - for a second opinion. We have a pediatric ophthalmologist in NoVa, but they also exist in Montgomery County and likely in DC.

[Anonymous]

OP: Thank you. I cannot find anything online about Stellest except for one study out of China only 2 years ago....Will get a second opinion and use another store.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

OP: yes, there is my dilemma. i would spend the cash in a heartbeat if i didnt feel like i am getting scammed by people desperate for an advantage over their online cheap competitors.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

OP: yes, there is my dilemma. i would spend the cash in a heartbeat if i didnt feel like i am getting scammed by people desperate for an advantage over their online cheap competitors.....

Part of the challenge here is that growing kids always will out grow their frames (and lenses), meaning the crazy expensive lenses are a recurring high expense, not a one-time high expense. I needed new frames every 12-15 months as a kid, and I am average size.

NOVA Ophthalmology Associates is in Falls Church & Fair Oaks. It has several Pediatric Ophthalmologists who were trained at Wilmer. Closer than Baltimore. Maybe try Nancy Morrison MD, who is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist who trained at Wilmer.

“http://www.nvoaeyes.com”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

OP: yes, there is my dilemma. i would spend the cash in a heartbeat if i didnt feel like i am getting scammed by people desperate for an advantage over their online cheap competitors.....

Part of the challenge here is that growing kids always will out grow their frames (and lenses), meaning the crazy expensive lenses are a recurring high expense, not a one-time high expense. I needed new frames every 12-15 months as a kid, and I am average size.

NOVA Ophthalmology Associates is in Falls Church & Fair Oaks. It has several Pediatric Ophthalmologists who were trained at Wilmer. Closer than Baltimore. Maybe try Nancy Morrison MD, who is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist who trained at Wilmer.

“http://www.nvoaeyes.com”

thank you for the recommendation!

[Anonymous]

My friend's daughter sleeps in gas perm contacts to slow the progression of myopia. She says it's working shockingly well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

OP: yes, there is my dilemma. i would spend the cash in a heartbeat if i didnt feel like i am getting scammed by people desperate for an advantage over their online cheap competitors.....

I don’t think that Stellest is a scam, but I do think that you want a doctor you can trust - both for financial reasons and to make sure that your child is getting what they need. I’m the person who initially recommended Wilmer but it’s great that you got a recommendation for someone closer. You want someone who will discuss all of the options for slowing myopia (Stellest, contacts, etc), and give you a long-term plan.

I think it’s wonderful that there are so many options, and I am sure that you will be able to find the right one for your family. Let us know how it turns out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

OP: yes, there is my dilemma. i would spend the cash in a heartbeat if i didnt feel like i am getting scammed by people desperate for an advantage over their online cheap competitors.....

I don’t think that Stellest is a scam, but I do think that you want a doctor you can trust - both for financial reasons and to make sure that your child is getting what they need. I’m the person who initially recommended Wilmer but it’s great that you got a recommendation for someone closer. You want someone who will discuss all of the options for slowing myopia (Stellest, contacts, etc), and give you a long-term plan.

I think it’s wonderful that there are so many options, and I am sure that you will be able to find the right one for your family. Let us know how it turns out.

Will do. Thanks for taking the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t mind tracking up to Baltimore, Wilmer is really great. For what it’s worth, I am fascinated by the Stellest technology which looks like a real breakthrough - but I can understand not wanting to drop that much money! However, if you can save your kid a diopter of correction in adulthood, I think it would be worth it. A second opinion might help you make a decision.

Speaking at someone who was severely myopic (-8) and had refractive surgery as an adult.

OP: yes, there is my dilemma. i would spend the cash in a heartbeat if i didnt feel like i am getting scammed by people desperate for an advantage over their online cheap competitors.....

Part of the challenge here is that growing kids always will out grow their frames (and lenses), meaning the crazy expensive lenses are a recurring high expense, not a one-time high expense. I needed new frames every 12-15 months as a kid, and I am average size.

NOVA Ophthalmology Associates is in Falls Church & Fair Oaks. It has several Pediatric Ophthalmologists who were trained at Wilmer. Closer than Baltimore. Maybe try Nancy Morrison MD, who is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist who trained at Wilmer.

“http://www.nvoaeyes.com”

Forgot to mention earlier, try to take copies of all current and all prior eyeglass prescriptions to the appointment. That helps the MD understand the rate of change in eyesight over time. Just taking the current Rx gives them a single data point. They can give better advice if they get a curve instead.

[Anonymous]

I just looked up Stellest. They are new since my DS started MiSight 2-3 years ago. The clinical data look good, and they got breakthrough approval from FDA.

How much are they quoting for these lenses? FWIW, MiSight was $1k the first year and $700 a year afterwards. Prices might change depending on the office you go to.

IMO, MiSight has been like a miracle. My DS' prescription hasn't changed since he started wearing them. He was a little young at 7 yo, so if Stellarest had been around, I might have done that first and then MiSight later if he got sick of glasses as he got older. The technology is the same - concentric circles of different refraction - it's just glasses vs. contacts. I can see how fitting the glasses could be more difficult because there are differences in head shape, where the glasses sit, etc. Whereas with contacts, they sit on the eye surface so there is less variability between people.

Let us know how it goes, OP. As someone with -12 contacts and -14 glasses, I am fascinated by this technology.