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Home » What’s New » What Is the OptiLight by Lumenis & How Can It Manage Your Dry Eye?

What Is the OptiLight by Lumenis & How Can It Manage Your Dry Eye?

optilight

Dry eye disease is a widespread and common issue for up to 49 million Americans. This chronic condition can have a significant impact on your quality of life, causing a foreign body sensation in your eyes, pain, blurry vision, and dry or watery eyes. Untreated, it can even lead to further eye health complications.

Despite these constant detrimental effects on quality of life, many dry eye sufferers are not aware that they’re suffering from dry eye disease or that real treatments exist. Instead, they just live with the discomfort.

At Silicon Valley Eye Physicians, we take care of patients like they are family members. We believe in leveraging technology to provide better outcomes and better the lives of our patients. Empowering the people in our care and guiding them to the right solutions is what we do. We take pride in our modern dry eye treatments and offer relief at the intersection of technology and education.

We’re proud to offer OptiLight by Lumenis to our patients, specially designed for dry eye management.

What Is OptiLight by Lumenis?

OptiLight by Lumenis is a light-based, non-invasive treatment done in the area below the eyes to manage dry eye. The first and only IPL FDA-approved for dry eye management.

The treatment is safe, gentle, and is backed by more than 20 clinical studies.

How Does It Work?

OptiLight uses precise pulses of light to reduce the inflammation that is typically associated with dry eye disease, improve tear break-up time, and increase meibomian gland functionality.

This application can significantly relieve dry eye indicators and has a multi-factorial effect, including:

  • Increasing tear break-up time
  • Reducing the amount of demodex mites and bacteria living around your eyes
  • Eliminating blood vessels that contribute to inflammation
  • Improving meibomian gland functionality

What to Expect 

Before Your Treatment

When you arrive at our office, you’ll be escorted to a quiet and comfortable room where our technicians will answer any questions and address any concerns you might have.

We ask that patients limit sun exposure to less than 20 mins daily for 3 weeks prior to the 1st treatment session—a superficial tan can affect the way the light targets inflammation in the skin.

We also ask that patients come to the clinic with a clean face and no makeup. We want to get started right away, and coming prepared ensures you get the most out of your treatment.

During Your Treatment

This treatment is fast and simple. During the treatment your doctor will apply a coupling gel on the treatment area and cover your eyes with shields.

As light is applied to the skin, you may experience a warm sensation. The treatment is gentle with minimum discomfort. The treatment itself will only take 10–15 minutes.

OptiLight is often followed by meibomian gland expression.

After Your Treatment

Before leaving the clinic, sunscreen will be applied to your face. We recommend that sunscreen be worn daily and that patients limit sun exposure.

You may experience slight sensitivity such as warming of the skin or redness. In rare cases, there can be pain or bruising. We always follow up with our patients the day after treatment, to check in and ensure satisfaction.

Part of Your Custom Treatment Plan

The treatment timeline consists of 4 sessions spaced 2 weeks apart. You might notice an improvement in your dry eye symptoms after just 1 session, but clinical studies show that the best results are 4 weeks after the 4th session.

After you’ve completed 4 sessions, we will work with you to develop a maintenance plan. Our office has many tools at our disposal for treating dry eye, and we may make use of Lipiflow, BlephEx, or at-home therapies such as warm compresses, nutriceuticals, and proper lid hygiene.

The goal for us is to ensure you find relief. OptiLight by Lumenis is an excellent way to start you on your journey to comfortable, nourished eyes.

Will the OptiLight by Lumenis Work for Me?    

While OptiLight by Lumenis is an effective dry eye management solution, we want to make sure it’s right for you. We do not recommend this treatment if you:

  • Suffer from aqueous deficiency dry eye (rather than evaporative dry eye or meibomian gland dysfunction)
  • Have a history of keloid scarring
  • Have severe scarring around your eyes

Ultimately, your doctor is the only person who can determine whether this option is right for you. During your next appointment, ask us if you are a good candidate for OptiLight by Lumenis.

You Don’t Have to Live With Dry Eye Anymore

Dry, irritated eyes can be managed with a new treatment that brings comfort and can restore quality of life. Visit your eye doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Call us at 408-739-6200 to schedule a dry eye exam.