Julie McLaughlin, OD, is the sole optometrist in a multi-specialty, referral-based ophthalmology practice in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After a residency in ocular surface disease, she is focused on building a dry eye clinic within her practice. Dr. McLaughlin currently focuses on presurgical optimization of the corneal surface, primarily for patients who have a scheduled cataract surgery and may be interested in premium IOLs. She also treats patients for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.
What are some of the biggest hurdles dry eye specialists face?
The multifactorial complexity of dry eye disease (DED) makes treating it both an art and a science—and a one-size-fits-all approach is likely to fail. I’ve learned to listen to my patients and create each individual dry eye management protocol based on their lifestyle, wants, needs, and goals.
How OptiLIGHT can benefit dry eye practices
I was a believer in the science and technology of intense pulsed light (IPL) even before OptiLIGHT. But when it came out as the first and only FDA-approved IPL for dry eye, I jumped at the opportunity to offer it to my patients.
OptiLIGHT has been the foundation of our dry eye clinic since 2021. Its multidimensional capabilities make it uniquely suited to address the chronic, progressive, and multifactorial nature of DED. For example, OptiLIGHT can treat multiple components of DED at once, including inflammation, the bacterial endemic burden of the lids, and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
OptiLIGHT has been the foundation of our dry eye clinic since 2021. Its multidimensional capabilities make it uniquely suited to address the chronic, progressive, and multifactorial nature of DED. For example, OptiLIGHT can treat multiple components of DED at once, including inflammation, the bacterial endemic burden of the lids, and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
Ideal candidates for OptiLIGHT
Most of my patients have been to several doctors before me and don’t have a lot of hope left. OptiLIGHT is often the missing link for these patients and makes other therapies they are currently using work better. Whether I’m seeing a patient who is about to undergo cataract surgery, a patient who has been suffering from dry eye disease for a while, or a patient who doesn’t realize they have dry eye disease but have been having other issues, like blurry vision or discomfort—all of these patients benefit from OptiLIGHT as it can delay the need for a prescription drop or enable them to be less dependent on their current regimen.
The patients I see tend to have at least 4-5 flare-ups each year. After a treatment plan on OptiLIGHT, they may go six months to a year without flare-ups.
Personally, I think an effective management strategy is the key to treating dry eye disease. That’s really where OptiLIGHT has been a game-changer. Many of these patients have chronic and progressive dry eye disease, where there may never be a cure. For these patients, it’s about listening to them, discovering what is most effective, and creating a long-term plan.
Is OptiLIGHT suitable for glaucoma patients?
We are used to saying, “Oh well, if they are at target pressure, they are stable,” about glaucoma patients.
Now we know that if their drops are affecting quality of life or they have a trab or tube that disqualifies them from using a corneal bandage, OptiLIGHT can deliver comfort to glaucoma patients beyond what current therapies offer.
From a practice efficiency standpoint, what does OptiLIGHT entail?
OptiLIGHT is typically an easy 10-15 minute appointment that can be incorporated into your workflow. I see about 30-35 patients with ocular surface issues in a day, so efficiency is a must for me, whether a patient needs a diagnosis or is coming in for an in-office treatment.
What was your return on investment with OptiLIGHT?
I paid off the device within about four months of use. It’s important to know whom OptiLIGHT will have the greatest impact on, how to educate those patients appropriately, and ultimately convince those patients to see what OptiLIGHT can do for them.
But I’ll tell you, as the sole OD among four ophthalmologists, I now have the second-highest revenue per patient in the entire practice because of OptiLIGHT.
How do OptiPLUS and OptiLIGHT complement each other?
While OptiLIGHT relies on IPL to break the cycle of dry-eye inflammation due to meibomian gland dysfunction, OptiPLUS utilizes FDA-cleared dual-frequency radiofrequency (RF) technology that allows energy to penetrate different skin depths. OptiPLUS heats the superficial layer to promote collagen formation and stimulate periorbital skin rejuvenation while also reaching into deeper tissue to target the meibomian glands.1,2,3
- When used in combination with OptiLIGHT, OptiPLUS delivers improvements in the meibomian gland score, the number of expressible glands, ocular surface, OSDI scores, symptomatology, meibography, non invasive tear breakup time, and MMP-9 scores.
- Just like OptiLIGHT, OptiPLUS has pre-embedded, clinically validated settings that can maximize a patient’s comfort and safety.
- Another distinction about OptiPLUS is that it’s monopolar, which typically reaches deeper than bipolar technology to allow the epidermis, hypodermis, subcutaneous fat deposits, and the fascia below the skin to be targeted.
Has FDA clearance of Lumenis technology made a difference in your practice?
Yes, it’s definitely a big deal to have FDA clearance. We reached out to our malpractice insurance carrier and they didn’t allow us to use a device unless it had FDA clearance. As a practice, we want to make sure whatever we bring in has proven medical outcomes, has been studied, and ensures safety and efficacy for patients and doctors.
For the last seven years, I’ve been dedicated to building a dry eye clinic within our practice. I’m thrilled with how it’s grown, but even more than that, I’m proud to satisfy a greater need within our community, whether it’s a patient with uncomfortable dry eye symptoms or a patient who now has a chance for the best possible surgical outcome, thanks to OptiLIGHT and OptiPLUS.
