As we have now been providing OptiLight IPL treatment for Dry Eye Disease for 6 months we thought we would sit down with one of our first OptiLight IPL patients, Karen, to find out about her treatment journey and the benefits IPL treatment has brought to her everyday life.
How long have you suffered from dry eyes?
“I have been suffering with dry eyes for around 5 years. Throughout this time I have tried various drops and eye lubricants along with hot compress and lid massage to manage the problem.”
What was you main struggle?
“Excessive watering! This was my main symptom. It was especially bad in the cold, wind, when in air conditioned environments, and on very hot days. I suffered with eye discomfort where my eyes felt irritable and gritty. I had to use my lubricants very regularly, which can be a bit of an inconvenience.”
What were you hoping to achieve with IPL treatment?
“I booked my dry eye consultation with the hope that this treatment would improve my symptoms and eye comfort and hopefully leave me less reliant on my eye lubricants.”
How did you find the treatment journey? Was there any pain/ discomfort? Side effects?
âI had a dry eye consultation with Mr Morgan where he carried out a thorough assessment and confirmed my suitability for the treatment. He then carried out my first session of the IPL. The treatment isnât painful, and I didnât experience any discomfort, but there is a bright flash of light and a momentary âpingingâ sensation. I returned to MY Eye Clinic every 2 â 3 weeks for an IPL session with Mr Morgan. I completed the course of treatments in April and returned to see Mr Morgan for a review in May so he could assess my improvement. He could see a marked improvement in my condition but felt I would benefit from an additional fifth session, so he performed this during my review as part of my course of treatment. I didnât suffer any side effects at all.â
Was there any downtime after each treatment session?
“No downtime at all.”
Did IPL treatment work for you?
âYes, IPL treatment did work for me. My eyes now feel more comfortable, and I am less reliant on my lubricants! I noticed a slight improvement after the second treatment and marked improvement after the third and fourth treatments. At my review appointment, Mr Morgan was able to show that my blocked non-functioning meibomian glands were producing oil and lubricating my eyes. I am very happy with the outcome.â
Would you recommend this treatment to other dry eye sufferers?
âAbsolutely! I would definitely recommend IPL treatment and have a couple of friends interested!â
