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IN-OFFICE TREATMENTS
At Alamo Eye Care, we offer a variety of in-office dry eye procedures and treatments. From prescribed pharmaceutical therapeutic treatments to FDA approved procedures, we are happy to curate a treatment plan to best fit your needs.
Punctal Plugs
The puncta is a small hole in the eyelid margin that allows tears to drain from the eye. By placing a small plug into one or all of the puncta, you decrease tear drainage and allow more fluid to stay on the surface of the eye, decreasing dry eye symptoms.
Therapeutic Eyedrops
On the market, there are two prescription eyedrops that are specially formulated for dry eye relief: Xiidra & Restasis. Both of these are targeted to decrease the complex cycle of inflammation behind dry eye disease. This long-term therapy is accompanied with other treatments in order to decrease inflammation in the long-term, while providing short-term relief.
Meibomian Gland Expression
The meibomian glands are located on the eyelid margin and when functionally normally, they release oils onto the surface of the eye in order to decrease tear evaporation. In order for at-home therapy such as lid scrubs and hot compress to work effectively, your optometrist must first unblock the meibomian glands.
MiBo ThermoFlo
Much like a heated massage, Mibo Thermoflo is a radio-frequency treatment of the eyelids. This process takes about ten minutes per eye to warm up the meibomian glands and massage the clogged oils out on to the surface of the eye. This is often done in combination with expression and debridement. Most patients will feel relief for up to three months.
OptiLight Intense Pulsed Light Therapy
Intense Pulsed Light therapy (IPL) as been traditionally used as a cosmetic procedure for treating facial skin conditions. Now, the OptiLight IPL by Lumenis is FDA approved to effectively treat chronic inflammatory factors such as dry eye disease, demodex blepharitis, and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. The process takes about fifteen minutes for both eyes and is normally followed by gland expression.
Amniotic Membranes
Amniotic membranes are made from the placental tissue when a mother donates after childbirth. Amniotic membrane has natural therapeutic actions which help the baby develop. This tissue also has healing properties that aid in wound and ocular surface repair. The placement of an amniotic membrane allows for healing of inflammation, scarring, or surface damage caused by dry eye disease.
Autologous Serum Tears
When artificial lubricating tears aren't enough for the severity of the disease, tears can be prescribed that are made from your own blood. After your blood is drawn, the platelets and clotting factors are removed. Then, the blood serum is combined with sterile saline to provide a unique eyedrop that has many of the same growth factors and nutrients that normal tears provide.
Scleral Lenses
In moderate to severe cases of dry eye, scleral contact lenses can be used to keep the eye hydrated all day. These specialty contact lenses are different from conventional soft lenses because they are formulated to vault over the cornea and rest on the sclera, or the white part of the eye. This vault creates a fluid-filled bowl that holds fluid on the eye to relieve dry eye symptoms throughout the day.
Pricing and Packages are available
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