Pacific Northwest Dry Eye Sufferers Gain Access to Breakthrough Treatment at Specialty Eyecare Group
Seattle and Kirkland, WA (PRWEB) December 04, 2013 -- Specialty Eyecare Group today announced the treatment availability of LipiFlow®, a breakthrough treatment for Evaporative Dry Eye Disease from TearScience. Headquartered in Morrisville, NC, TearScience’s innovative technology assesses and treats the root cause of Evaporative Dry Eye Disease and is the result of 30 years of research and collaboration with more than 50 scientist and professionals and millions of dollars of investment.
Specialty Eyecare Group is a local family friendly eyecare clinic with offices in Kirkland and Seattle, WA that specializes in providing infants to seniors the highest level of eyecare. Specialty Eyecare Group is the first clinic to offer the LipiFlow treatment in Kirkland and Seattle, and has developed a dry eye specialty clinic to address the needs of patients who suffer from this difficult disorder. The clinic aims to enrich people’s lives so that they can succeed to their greatest potential.
“Evaporative dry eye, caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), really starts to show itself this time of year when people go outside to enjoy the brisk air or turn up their heaters, yet experience a burning and itching sensation in their eyes,” said Dr. David Kading, who specializes in treating front of the eye problems like allergies, red eyes, dry eye syndrome, Keratoconus, corneal degenerations, and other diseases. “TearScience was co-founded by one of the most respected optometrist in the world, Dr. Donald R. Korb, and they offer a significant advancement for treating Evaporative Dry Eye that allows the glands that make the oil part of the tears to resume their natural production of lipids which are needed for a healthy tear film. The timing for bringing LipiFlow to our Pacific Northwest Dry Eye Practice was so that we can help patients enjoy the winter without worrying about all the typical Evaportative Dry Eye discomforts that are so common this time of year.”
For patients who suffer from Evaporative Dry Disease, which can cause eyes to feel dry, irritated, gritty and may even cause blurred vision or sensitivity to sunlight, LipiFlow can be used to treat the root cause by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure. The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids for a healthy tear film. Evaporative Dry Eye differs from Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye, where the body is not able to produce adequate moisture to keep the eyes lubricated and are typically treated with pharmaceuticals like Restasis or with over the counter artificial tears. According to a recent study1, 86 percent of dry eye patients suffer from Evaporative Dry Eye. Left untreated, Evaporative Dry Eye is a chronic, progressive disease that will worsen over time. Patients who undergo a LipiView screening gain unprecedented insight into their disease to make informed decisions about treatment if they are a candidate for LipiFlow. In TearScience’s multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical study, 79 percent of patients reported an improvement in overall dry eye symptoms within four weeks of a single LipiFlow treatment.
TearScience gained FDA clearance in February 2012 for its system that assesses and treats Evaporative Dry Eye, which occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly. TearScience’s assessment and treatment devices include, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow ® Thermal Pulsation System. LipiView provides detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film for the physician to assess the lipid layer. LipiView is used in conjunction with a dry eye questionnaire and a Meibomian gland evaluation to determine if a patient suffers from Evaporative Dry Eye. LipiView also helps identify if the patient is a partial blinker, which results in the eye not being properly lubricated during blinks.
“I believe LipiFlow and the resulting cascade of technology innovations taking place at TearScience will safely improve the conditions of many sufferers of dry eye,” said Dr. Donald R. Korb, co-founder of TearScience. “Much like modern dentistry, we will continually pioneer preventative approaches to prevent, even before they begin, the debilitating chronic symptoms doctors, including myself, witness every day in our practice."
Click here to watch TearScience customer testimonials or take the Dry Eye Quiz.
1. Lemp MA, et al. Distribution of aqueous deficient and evaporative dry eye in a clinic-based patient cohort: a retrospective study. Cornea. 2012:31(5):472-478
About Specialty Eyecare Group
Specialty Eyecare Group is the best of both worlds: we are a family eyecare clinic that takes care of infants to seniors and our doctors all specialize to provide the highest level of eyecare. Made up of specialists, Specialty Eyecare Group is family friendly, innovative and strives to give patients the best eyecare and eyewear solutions that fit their lifestyle. Dr. David Kading’s practice focuses around front of the eye diseases and complicated contact lens fits. Drs. Kristi Kading and Katherine Shen’s practices emphasize pediatrics and visual problems related to head injuries, and eye turns and visually related learning problems.
Claudine Murcia, Specialty Eyecare Group, http://www.specialtyeye.com/index.php, +1 425-821-8900, [email protected]
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