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

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.

Watts Eye Associates understands the struggles dry eye can cause, but we’re ready to help you achieve the comfortable vision you deserve with the help of innovative, state-of-the-art treatments.

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

The very first step in our process is to diagnose your dry eye symptoms and develop a custom treatment plan. We use various techniques to get a full understanding of your issues and how we can manage them, like:

• Schirmer’s testing
• Measuring your tear break up time
• Ocular surface staining
• Assessing your meibomian gland function.

  

  

  

  

  
  

Once we determine what’s causing your dry eye symptoms, we’ll get to work developing your custom treatment, which could include the use of the Lumenis OptiLight IPL system. If you’re a candidate for the treatment, we’ll book an appointment for you and go over what you can expect from your experience.

Before you come in for your treatment, we’ll have you prepare by:

• Staying hydrated
• Avoiding direct sunlight exposure for a few days
• Refraining from using makeup and skincare products to your appointment

During Your Treatment

When you come in for your appointment, we’ll go over some quick paperwork regarding your medical history and ask you to wash off any makeup or skincare products you may be wearing.

The 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 about 15 minutes.

 

After Your Treatment

OptiLight treatments have little to no downtime, so you can get back to your day immediately after your appointment!

However, for the best results, we’ll have you follow a recovery plan designed uniquely to your needs. During your recovery, we’ll ask you to:

• Avoid direct sun exposure for 5 to 7 days
• Wear sunscreen on your treated areas for 14 days
• Clean your skin with gentle, non-exfoliating cleansers

You may experience some side effects after your treatment, but these are normal and should subside in a few days. Side effects can include:

• Mild redness
• Slight swelling
• Peeling in treated areas

Part of Your Custom Treatment Plan

A course of treatment typically includes 4 sessions spaced 2–4 weeks apart. 

As part of your custom dry eye treatment plan, we may recommend several other strategies to help you achieve the eye comfort you deserve. Some of these strategies can include:

• Artificial tears
• Medicated eye drops like Restasis and Xiidra
• Warm compresses
• Omega-3 dry eye supplements

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.