Expert Position and Clinical Implementation Guidance for the Management of Myopia Progression in Polish Children and Adolescents

This Clinical Implementation White Paper and Expert Position Statement present the Method of Professor Michał Szymon Nowak — a structured clinical pathway for the management of progressive myopia in children and adolescents, developed by Professor Nowak and based on medical qualification, objective biometric assessment, safety monitoring, and clearly defined principles for the conduct of therapy.

The document integrates current scientific evidence on repeated low-level red-light therapy (RLRL), including findings from randomised controlled trials, comparative studies, multicentre observational studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It addresses the efficacy of RLRL in controlling myopia progression and axial elongation, retinal safety data, the role of axial-length monitoring, patient qualification criteria, contraindications, treatment-stopping criteria, rebound following treatment discontinuation, and expert-proposed strategies for gradual treatment tapering.

The Nowak Method also defines a clear allocation of responsibilities among the physician, implementing centre, distributor, and device manufacturer. Medical decisions concerning patient qualification, initiation of therapy, conduct of treatment, monitoring, modification, tapering, and treatment cessation remain within the competence of the physician. The device emission parameters, by contrast, are factory-defined and locked by the manufacturer, constituting an integral safety feature of the overall clinical model.

The document also incorporates current regional axial-length centile charts for Europe and Australia and identifies the lack of Polish population-specific axial-length reference data as an important priority for further research. The Nowak Method is presented as an authorised expert position statement and a living clinical framework intended for professional review and future updating as the evidence base continues to evolve.