“
WE OFFER MULTIPLE TREATMENT
OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH ANY
COMBINATION OF SEVERE SYMPTOMS.
“
— Roni Shtein, M.D., M.S.
Roni Shtein, M.D., demonstrates corneal staining technique with Sheila Gilbert, COA
Finding a Personalized Solution for Dry Eye According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), approximately 20 million Americans, and nearly 350 million people worldwide, suffer from inadequate lubrication of the eye, or dry eye disease. Many factors can contribute to dry eye. It is a frequent
Serum tears — Eye drops made from the serum of a patient’s
own blood contain growth factors and nutrients shown to be effective in decreasing symptom severity. Kellogg has developed the protocols used by a U-M blood draw station and a local compounding pharmacy to formulate these ‘customized tears.’ A mail order option through an outside vendor is available to patients out of the area.
medication side effect, a comorbidity of some systemic diseases
Scleral contact lenses — Contact lenses scaled to fit over the
and, most commonly, simply a consequence of growing older.
white of the eye can keep moisture in and cushion the surface
It is mildly uncomfortable for some patients, excruciating for
of the eye. Kellogg also offers the Prosthetic Rehabilitation of
others. Yet despite diminishing the quality of life of so many,
the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE), a customized scleral
dry eye remains, as EyeNet® magazine states, “notoriously
lens that bathes the eye with artificial tears.
underappreciated, misdiagnosed, and undertreated.” In the Cornea Clinic at Kellogg, improving the lives of patients with dry eye disease is a top priority. Patients are frequently referred to Kellogg when the established first-line treatment — lubricating eye drops — falls short. Patients with
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Some Innovative Treatment Modalities Offered:
Intense pulsed light treatment (IPL) — For dry eye
caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, IPL treatment to the eyelids can reduce inflammation and improve meibomian gland function.
the most complex, hard-to-manage conditions are often seen
Research — The cornea specialists at Kellogg are also involved
by dry eye specialist Roni Shtein, M.D., M.S.
in research to improve treatment of dry eye or chronic symp-
“Ocular surface dryness is at its most acute when it is
toms. For example, Kellogg is currently recruiting patients as
associated with ocular surface damage or scarring, when it
part of a multi-center clinical trial of an eye drop for treating
is accompanied by visual abnormalities or diminished vision,
chronic eye pain or dry eye-like symptoms in a post-surgical
or when it occurs with a component of centralized pain,”
population. The eventual goal of the treatment will be to treat
Dr. Shtein explains. “We offer multiple treatment options for
patients with chronic pain/symptoms, regardless of the underly-
patients with any combination of these severe symptoms.”
ing ocular conditions.