ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia--()--Valley Laser Eye Centre, a leading laser centre in North America, today announced that it is the first eye care centre in western Canada to offer a new treatment for patients who suffer from evaporative dry eye disease. This disease stems from a deficiency in the oily lipid layer of the eye’s natural tear film. The oily lipids serve as a protective layer so that the aqueous (water) layer of the eye’s tear film does not evaporate too quickly. Valley Laser Eye Centre now offers a new, advanced in-office treatment, TearScience’s LipiFlow®, which facilitates the release of lipids from blocked Meibomian glands, allowing natural flow of lipids needed for a healthy tear film.
“We are very pleased to introduce this new innovative treatment to help our dry eye patients.”
Dry eye disease affects more than 100 million people worldwide, of which 65 percent suffer from evaporative dry eye. Common symptoms of dry eye include dryness, grittiness, soreness, irritation, burning and eye fatigue. These symptoms can hinder the performance of daily activities such as reading, using a computer, wearing contact lenses and being outdoors on windy days. Many dry eye patients experience their symptoms worsening throughout the day.
“Dry eye disease is one of the most common topics patients want to discuss when visiting eye care professionals,” said Dr. John Blaylock, owner and medical director at Valley Laser Eye Centre. “We are very pleased to introduce this new innovative treatment to help our dry eye patients.”
Historically, common therapies aimed at dry eye symptom relief included using warm compresses, over- the-counter wetting drops and ointments, and prescription drugs. Alternatively, the new LipiFlow® treatment is designed to address a root cause of evaporative dry eye by unblocking the Meibomian glands that secrete oily lipids.
In a controlled clinical study of patients who received a single LipiFlow® treatment, the mean meibomian gland score more than doubled after treatment, reflecting an increase from baseline in the number of glands secreting oils and improvement in the quality of the gland secretions. Additionally, at four weeks after the LipiFlow® treatment, 79 percent of patients reported improvement in dry eye symptoms.
“My eyes have never felt better,” said Holly Sloan, a dry eye sufferer that received the LipiFlow treatment. “I am so glad that I was able to get the LipiFlow treatment done. I have already noticed a big change and I am only a month out.”
About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the more than 100 million dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 65 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by meibomian gland dysfunction and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system is the first to enable eye care professionals to address a root cause of evaporative dry eye. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.
About Valley Laser Eye Centre
Valley Laser Eye Centre is one of the leading laser eye centres in North America offering a broad range of the most scientifically advanced eye surgery options in British Columbia for laser eye surgery, cataracts, lifestyle lens implants, glaucoma and dry eye. The centre strives for the ultimate in visual outcomes for patients. Dr John F. Blaylock, owner and medical director of Valley Laser Eye Centre in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, is one of the world’s leading experts in eye surgery. Dr. Blaylock lectures around the world on his techniques and clinical studies. As a recognized leader and pioneer in eye surgery, he developed the ‘Blaylock Procedure,” which is now used by thousands of ophthalmologists around the world. For further information, visit www.valleylasereyecentre.com or call 1-888-977-3937.
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