Patient-Centric
Dry Eye Services
What is Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye is a chronic disease that requires ongoing care and treatment. There are two types of dry eye: Evaporative Dry Eye (deficient tear production) and Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye (reduced aqueous product, a clear liquid which nourishes the eye). While Evaporative Dry Eye is more common accounting for 85% of chronic dry eye cases, there can be overlap between the two.
Common Symptoms of Dry Eye Include:
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Burning, dry or itchy eyes
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Redness
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Fluctuating vision
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Tearing
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​Foreign body sensation (gritty feeling)
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Light sensitivity
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Contact lens intolerance
Introducing the Future of Dry Eye Care
Offering FDA-Approved OptiLight IPL Treatment for Chronic Dry Eye
This FDA-approved laser provides patients with safe, comfortable dry eye treatment administered with more precision and control than any other tool on the market. Thoughtfully designed with a custom, contoured fit for patient comfort, OptiLight provides ophthalmologists with optimal control to perform dry eye therapy with ease and precision in just 15-minute sessions, with minimal pain or discomfort.
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What is intense pulsed light therapy (IPL)?IPL is an FDA-approved, in-office treatment that utilizes wavelengths of light to reduce inflammation around the eyes. IPL treatments improve the function of the meibomian glands in the eyelids, increasing production of eye-lubricating natural oils, reducing demodex mites and actively reducing dryness.
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What should I expect during treatment?While some patients notice immediate changes in their dry eye symptoms after the treatment, it typically takes around 4 treatments to see a drastic change. After IPL treatment, you may experience blurry vision for a few days – This is a great sign! This blurry vision indicates that your meibomian glands are expressing more oil than your eyes are used to. Aside from this blurriness, you should be able to return to your everyday activities after the treatment.
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How do I know if Optilight is right for me?We recommend coming in for a 1 hour dry eye consultation. From there we will evaluate what treatment options are right for your unique symptoms.
Additional In-Office Treatments for Dry Eye
All patients begin with a thorough consultation process where we identify and diagnose the primary cause and severity of your dry eye utilizing the TFOS DEWS II Report (Tear Film and Ocular Surface Dry Eye Workshop), followed by dry eye disease experts around the world. The results of this hallmark report guide recommendations for a highly-tailored treatment plan customized to treat individual cases of dry eye at its root.
LipiFlow
Utilizing gentle heat and massage, FDA-approved LipiFlow improves the function of meibomian glands to treat dry eye. LipiFlow treatment is non-invasive, well-tolerated, and only takes 12 minutes. When combined with IPL, LipiFlow is particularly effective and has been shown to improve contact lens tolerance and more stable vision at the computer.
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Meibomian Gland Expression
Meibomian Gland Expression applies pressure to the meibomian glands to release the natural oils that help lubricate the eye. While LipiFlow is the most effective way to express the meibomian glands, this can also be done manually in the office. Meibomian Gland Expression is performed after all IPL treatments.
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Meibomian Gland Probing
Meibomian Gland Probing is performed when the meibomian glands have already been plugged and other treatments have been ineffective. Treatment includes numbing the eyelids and inserting small probes into the gland openings to break through any scar tissue that has occurred, and to allow the eye’s natural oils to begin flowing through for healthier tear film production.
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Punctal Plugs
Punctal Plugs can be applied as temporary or semi-permanent and work to block the opening where tears drain. They can be helpful but may make inflammation worse, so are typically not a first-line treatment.
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Autologous Serum Tears
Autologous Serum Tears are custom-made utilizing your own blood, which allows the serum to mimic the genetic composition of your natural basal tears to treat dry eye. After having blood drawn, Autologous Serum Tears will be processed in a medical lab and mailed to you where they will require refrigeration between uses. Typically used in severe cases, Autologous Serum Tears can be a very effective treatment for dry eye.
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Amniotic Membranes
An increasingly popular practice among many areas of medicine, Amniotic Membrane offers rich growth factors that promote healing and have anti-inflammatory properties. Extracted from the placental tissue, Amniotic Membrane can be applied to the surface of the eye to actively heal ocular surface damage and ease chronic dry eye in cases where other treatments have been ineffective.
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SERVICES
& PRICING
Single OptiLight IPL Dry Eye Treatment: $400
Package of 4 OptiLight IPL Dry Eye Treatments: $1400 ($200 Discount)
Package of 4 Optilight IPL Treatments + LipiFlow: $1800
LipiFlow Treatment: $750
Meibomian Gland Probing: $600 Per Eyelid
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LPI Laser: $450
Punctual Plugs (One): $200
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Punctual Plugs (Bilateral): $300
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SLT Laser: $350
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Amniotic Membrane Placement: $1500
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Dry Eye Evaluation, New Patient: $275
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Dry Eye Follow-Up Exam: $140
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Note: Amniotic Membrane and Punctal Plug services are covered by insurance.
Autologous Serum Tears are NOT covered by insurance, but pricing will vary
with concentration and quantity. The above represents a Good Faith Estimate for
Cash Pay Pricing
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Financing
Financing is available through Care Credit.
Insurance
We accept most major health insurance plans, but do not accept vision insurance. This does not guarantee that we are in-network with your particular plan and it is recommended that you verify coverage with your insurance prior to scheduling your visit.
Cancellation Policy
Please be advised that we do require a credit card on file to be seen and may charge a $50 no show fee. New patients that no show will not be rescheduled. You can view our full financial policy on your patient portal.
