Dry eye disease (DED) is a common disorder that causes dry, gritty, burning, tired eyes and fluctuating vision. About 16 million Americans have been diagnosed,1 and twice as many may be undiagnosed with dry eye. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the leading cause of dry eye disease, accounting for about 86% of cases.2
In its recent launch event, Lumenis announced that the FDA has granted De Novo authorization for Lumenis' newest intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) device for improving signs of dry eye disease due to MGD. OptiLight™ with Lumenis' patented OPT® technology is designed for a consistent, precise, and controlled light-based treatment of signs of dry eye disease.
To learn more about this technology, check out The Ultimate Guide to OptiLight!
Creating a premium ocular surface
Dr. Rolando Toyos was an early adopter of IPL and participated in the FDA trials that led to the approval. As a cataract and refractive surgeon, he understands the need to manage the ocular surface by treating DED to get the best results: “There are plenty of studies showing that as you get older, your risk for dry eye increases. So if you're a glaucoma patient, a cataract patient, or retina patient, you may need that type of treatment before you get into the OR.”
Referencing advances in technology to create “premium” surgical and procedural eyecare, he said adding premium ocular surface care to the mix makes sense to achieve the best results: “We're improving on our cataract technology. We’re improving on LASIK technology. We're improving on our glaucoma technology. Well, now we're improving our technology in terms of treating dry eye. It’s a perfect combination.”
Addressing the double vicious circle
Dr. Laura Periman is an expert in DED and said OptiLight™ is well suited to manage this condition due to its association with MGD: “We've got this huge problem that has an inflammation core in a double vicious circle fashion.”
She said this complicated situation requires “elegant and efficient’’ treatment options, which is what OptiLight™ can provide by addressing many different aspects of the double vicious circle of DED.
As far as determining which patients are well suited for OptiLight™, Dr. Periman said the OptiLight™ system is indicated for moderate to severe DED with MGD: “So I think we need to be looking for that moderate patient before they become the severe patient.” Further indications for use, contraindications, and possible side effects are available on the Lumenis launch event page.
In terms of marketing and training, Dr. Periman said Lumenis provides great support for both: “We had tremendous presence from our rep. We had marketing materials. We had online social media assistance . . . They provide this wonderful clinical training program so you create good habits from the get-go. It's an incredibly simple platform to use.”
Integrating the gift that keeps on giving
Dr. Art Epstein said they recently introduced the system into their practice and described the experience with OptiLight™ as “incredible.” Since his practice is limited to dry eye, he initially viewed OptiLight™ as a “significant” addition to the technologies they were already using.
However, he quickly realized it was much more than that: “It completely exceeded my expectations. So much so, that we've literally managed to change patients' lives. I've had patients who were so difficult to manage . . . OptiLight™ has really been a godsend for these patients.”
Dr. Epstein said OptiLight™ has also “changed the very nature of my practice. Patient satisfaction has gone through the ceiling, which created a referral base of patients talking to other patients. It's been phenomenal.”
Noting that OptiLight™ makes sense for both patient management and return on investment, he described OptiLight™ as “the gift that keeps on giving.”
Achieving life-changing results
During the launch event, a patient who had undergone OptiLight™ treatment said that prior to receiving it, her DED was severe enough to impair her quality of life: “Dry eye impacted my life on a daily basis for several months, and it was continually getting worse. I was having a lot of blurry vision. My eyes felt really dry all the time. I had a lot of itching and then my eyes would hurt. They were very sensitive. I had a lot of tearing at night . . . I was trying to wear contacts all through this and it just got to the point where I couldn't put a contact lens in my eye.”
Describing the OptiLight™ treatments as “very, very fast,” she estimated she was in and out of the office within about 30 minutes. She said afterward she put sunscreen on before leaving the office “because I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Then I could restart my normal day-to-day activities.”
Saying her experience coming off the OptiLight™ treatments “has just been incredible,” she’s now able to wear contacts every day for the majority of the day and doesn’t have the itching, sensitivity, or tearing she used to have. “I feel like I'm just back to life as normal,” she said.
