Treatment for Dry Eye: Why Don’t Other Doctors Do This?

published on November 17, 2015 by Jennifer Branning, OD

We all know that Chronic Dry Eye can be extremely frustrating and have a significant impact on a patient’s overall quality of life. It is always gratifying when you can help a patient get relief from their symptoms, particularly when they have tried many treatment options with no success.

Such was the case with one of my recent patients, a 92-year-old female with AMD OS>OD. She winters in Texas where she receives care from a retinal specialist. Despite her discomfort, no one had treated her Dry Eye Disease in the past. The patient is an artist who paints and she does a fair amount of computer work. Here are some facts about the case:

• Treated with Avastin^®/Lucentis^® injections in her left eye regularly since 2007
• BVA is 20/60 OD and 20/400 OS
• Ongoing issues with dryness and discomfort OS>OD, which she attributes to her injections
• Has some autoimmune problems; I recommended follow-up with her doctor for Sjogren’s Syndrome
• Used preservative-free artificial tears as well as Restasis^®, however didn’t feel the Restasis helped after a six-month trial so stopped using it
• Recently developed light sensitivity and found herself closing her left eye involuntarily
• Although her visual acuity was 20/400, she felt like there was a haze over her eye and that her peripheral vision was worse