Dry Eye Therapy

Helping you say “Good-Bye to Dry Eye”

Very often, symptoms of dry eye are perceived as a nuisance we deal with quietly. Gritty, sandy, dry, burning, itchy and irritated eyes are common manifestations of this chronic condition; we try to ignore them in the hopes they will disappear but often the signs and symptoms persevere or worsen.  You don’t have to struggle with dry eye. Come see and feel the difference therapy can do for you!

OC Surgical’s Dry Eye Therapy offers treatments based on your personal dry eye needs. We have a state-of-the-art facility, excellent clinical staff and we offer personalized attention to your eye care needs.

  • The most common treatment for mild dry eye is a type of eye drops called artificial tears. You can get these eye drops without a prescription. There are also over-the-counter moisturizing gels and ointments that may help your eyes feel better.

  • If your dry eye is more serious, your eye doctor may give you a prescription. There are numerous types of prescription drops that can significantly improve dry eye. Come see what’s best for you!

  • A commonly missed ideology for having dry eye is draining out your tears too quickly. Your doctor may suggest putting special plugs to keep the healing effects of your own tears in your eyes.

  • Prokera is made from amniotic membrane and umbilical cord tissue which has natural anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring properties. It is the only FDA-cleared therapeutic device used by eye care practitioners to provide quick symptom relief and reduce inflammation associated with ocular surface disease. It helps restore your cornea and return your eye to a normal, healthy state.

  • The goal of this treatment is to improve the health of the meibomian glands to restore gland function and increase oil production. It is aimed at “resetting” glands in order to prevent the damage that leads to reduced gland function. The treatment consists of placing an eyepiece underneath the lids that warms and gently massages them, prompting the lids to empty the glands of unhealthy secretions. Relief from dry eye symptoms usually occurs at 4-6 weeks. Depending on the severity of the patient’s disease, some patients require additional treatments to maintain the effect. Thermal pulsation therapy can be repeated every 9-24 months.

The Main Cause of Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome is a widespread problem. There are about 25 million people in the US who are known to suffer from this condition, with women being more prevalent. Many people who suffer from dry eyes are not correctly treated and a majority are not appropriately diagnosed. The real culprit for those with severe dry eyes may not necessarily be a deficiency in just one tear layer but a combination of layers. This is important, because many people are improperly treated. Specialized glands create the lipid layer of the tear that protects other layers from evaporating. When these glands become blocked the tears dry out creating inflammation and dry eye symptoms.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Treatment

There are new treatments for those suffering from Dry Eye Syndrome. The new treatments focus specifically on the target tissues responsible for producing a dysfunctional tear. These treatments are fast and painless. The process involves a device that revitalizes the dysfunctional gland. Most patients experience an immediate improvement in their eyes from the moment they leave our dry eye center. Continued improvement is seen for up to one year.

How does the LipiFlow treatment work?

The first step in receiving therapy for your dry eye disease is an evaluation at the OC Surgical. Specialized diagnostic testing performed at your initial visit to determine the cause of your chronic dry eyes. Dry Eye Syndrome can be caused by a number of factors such as:

  • Medications

  • LASIK Surgery

  • Eye Damage

  • Lacrimal Gland Dysfunction

Testing Your Dry Eyes for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Numerous non-invasive tear testing is conducted at your visit to evaluate the consistency of your tears and the level of moisture. In addition to measuring the amount of tear secretion each eye produces, meibomian gland function is measured with ocular surface interferometry. A type of specialized microscope is then used to measure the abundance of the lacrimal film layer. A tear break-up timed test is then used to assess your tear layer. In addition highly specific cell testing is done on the outer covering of the eye called the conjunctiva. Differential dye testing is also carried out to evaluate damaged cells or dead cells. Three unique and proprietary dyes are utilized for a precise evaluation.

The LipiFlow Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Treatment

For certain individuals dry eye treatment is specifically provided with Thermal Pulsation. This device delivers a specified amount of heat to the eyelids combined with a low level pulsation. The combination helps clear the meibomian glands and restore their function. The painless process takes only 12 minutes per eye. Following the procedure you may resume your normal activities.

How Effective is LipiFlow as Compared to Other Dry Eye Remedies?

Across the internet you will find a number of LipiFlow reviews singing the praise of LipiFlow and what it has done for dry eye sufferers around the country and world. For many, LipiFlow has made a significant change in their lives. Here are some of the positive results patients report:

  • The complete restoration of normal eye function: decreased redness, almost total reduction of irritation.

  • No further need for eye drops.

  • Regained ability to go out in the daylight without the need for sunglasses except on the sunniest of days.

  • Fewer problems with dry eve symptoms due to environmental conditions like heat or the dry Santa Anas.

  • Greater longevity at work, without the symptoms of eye strain.

  • A general sense of greater well-being in terms of their eyes. But, of course, you should decide on more than just online LipiFlow reviews.

Let's consider the science:

Research shows that the effects of the LipiFlow treatment are immediate and significant. Patients report a marked improvement in eye comfort and moisture. Over time as the meibomian glands return to a more normal active state, patients actually continue to improve for up to one year after their treatments. 4 of 5 patients report a marked improvement over their previous condition.

Other Dry Eye Remedies

LipiFlow is a relatively new option for treating dry eyes. Before LipiFlow, many patients attempted to self-treat themselves in their own homes through a series of home dry eye remedies. Many sufferers of Dry Eye Syndrome for example, use humidifiers in their homes to slow down the evaporative process. Similarly, many of those who suffer from Dry Eye Syndrome avoid the use of air conditioners and heaters because they have just the opposite effect.

Some patients find that applying hot compresses to their eyes and rubbing has a positive effect on their lipid layers because they help to break up bacteria and stimulate the meibomian glands. (You might think of this as a home version of the Lipiflow treatment. It is not quite as effective, but for some patients it has done the trick.)

Artificial Tears, gels and the ever popular eye drops also help keep eyes moist, so long as you are willing to persistently apply these to your eyes. For those with especially severe dry eyes, eye ointments have been the treatment of choice because they are longer lasting and thus require fewer applications. Many, of course, simply choose to live with the dryness, frequently resting their eyes and hoping dry, warm weather would not last much longer. You however, need not leave your eye health up to the whims of the weather.

Where can Someone Suffering from Dry Eye Syndrome Get Help?

Although not every ophthalmologist has the LipiFlow device yet, there are a number of locations in California (and throughout the country, actually) where you can receive the life-changing LipiFlow treatment. OC Surgical specialize in the LipiFlow treatment. Our practice offers you state of art exam rooms and brand new LipiFlow devices operated by trained LipiFlow experts.

You owe it to you and your eyes so contact OC Surgical today and get the relief you and your eyes deserve!