Until recently, Celesta Ferreira, OD, of Cypress Optique in Cypress, Texas, felt limited by the treatment options she could provide her patients suffering from dry eye symptoms. “I wasn’t seeing lasting results that were significant enough to impact the progressive condition,” she says.
After researching the options, Dr. Ferreira chose to add intense pulse light (IPL) and radio frequency technology to her practice offerings. She set out to find a brand and a company that had done its due diligence on research and patient experience.
She chose Lumenis, because she “wanted to provide patients with the safest and most effective treatment options available,” says Dr. Ferreira. “I appreciated that Lumenis had achieved approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for meibomian gland dysfunction. It gave me comfort and confidence in my ability to treat patients.”
Dr. Ferreira says that incorporating OptiLIGHT® and OptiPLUS® into her practice has elevated her standard of care tenfold. OptiLIGHT’s Optimal Pulse Technology™ ensures targeted, precise and controlled treatments, while OptiPLUS’ dual radio frequency enhances her outcomes through a synergistic connection of pairing light and heat therapy.
“Patients are experiencing healthier lids, with significantly less inflammation, and remarkably improved quality of the meibum. This advanced therapy, with the pairing of radio frequency, liquefies oils instantly, opening the glands and providing significant symptomati relief.” She leads with the medical rationale. “Patients come seeking relief and leave looking and feeling better than ever.”
OVERCOMING HESITATION
As a cold start practice owner, Dr. Ferreira was initially “apprehensive about the return on investment (ROI)” the Lumenis’ technologies could bring her. “Bringing in the technology was daunting, especially when I simply looked at the price tag. But my passion for dry eye management motivated me to go all in and get the best for my patients,” she says. However, before making a commitment, Dr. Ferreira scoured her patient records to be certain that she had a market for the treatments. Prior to the delivery of the OptiLIGHT and OptiPLUS systems, Dr. Ferreira had nearly 15 patients on the books.
Within three months, she had recouped half of her acquisition costs. Each month, the total grows as patients return for follow-up treatments and new ones join the candidate pool. “Within a year, we achieved a substantial ROI with a 40% conversion rate among dry eye patients. Our education and testing protocols, coupled with showing before-and-after results, have built trust and demonstrated efficacy,” she says.
DOCUMENTING NEED AND PROGRESS
According to Dr. Ferreira, documenting each patient’s diagnosis with imaging and symptom tracking before and during the treatment is critical. This provides patients and practitioners baseline data. “Patients need to remember where they started,” Dr. Ferreira says.
She documents most of her comprehensive dry eye workups and follow-ups to show patients the level of inflammation they are currently living with. The videos and images often feature remarkable demonstrations of the transformation. “Patients may start with vascularized lids covered with blepharitis, and later they have clear lids with gland expressions like liquid gold. Patients need to see that proof because as they begin to feel better, they can forget how far they’ve come,” she says.
As a dry eye sufferer herself, Dr. Ferreira maintains her own eye health with OptiLIGHT and OptiPLUS’ complementary treatment on a consistent basis. She shares her personal story with patients and ensures them that she is with them every step of their journey. This is critical as Dr. Ferreira has seen multiple cases of patients with previous failed attempts at treatment. For example, one new patient came to her after she had multiple, unsuccessful therapies with at least five previous providers. “She had been referred by the MD who removed a chalazion. She had tried serum tears, pharmaceuticals, steroids, at-home therapies and another IPL device with no success. I told her that I thought our treatment protocol could benefit her if she was willing to give it one more try. Six treatments in, the patient told me that her eyes had not felt this good in 10 years.”
THE IMPACT OF DRY EYE
Dry eye impacts patients’ quality of life on a daily basis. “When we can provide answers and solutions to our dry eye patients, we are removing the anxiety, depression and frustration that these patients live with every day.”
Dr. Ferreira has seen transformative results in her patients’ signs of DED. More and more patients are eager to be proactive instead of reactive with their health. “They might have a mild meibomian gland dysfunction, but they don’t want the red, irritated lids that come with that. Or they understand the progressive nature of the disease,” Dr. Ferreira says.
A THRIVING PRACTICE
There’s another upside to the acquisition of OptiLIGHT and OptiPLUS into her practice. Dr. Ferreira says that she is enjoying her career more than she would have ever imagined. “Even though my practice is only three years old, I feel reinvigorated. Bringing in advanced technologies such as OptiLIGHT has allowed me to focus on my passion for dry eye treatment. I’m collaborating with MDs and ODs, which has strengthened my practice and provided me with a great network of support.”
Her licensed staff, trained to perform the treatments, are enthusiastic and motivated. Their involvement has turned the practice into a comprehensive eye care clinic, attracting referrals from far and wide. Indeed, the surge that accompanied bringing these technologies in “has inspired us to dream big for the future of dry eye therapies and growth as a practice. This growth was beyond my initial expectations. Seeing the profound impact on patients’ lives has solidified my commitment to this specialty. We’re not just treating dry eyes; we’re improving lives, one patient at a time.”
References:
1. Javate RM, Cruz RT Jr, Khan J, Trakos N, Gordon RE. Nonablative 4-MHz dual radiofrequency wand rejuvenation treatment for periorbital rhytides and midface laxity. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011 May-Jun;27(3):180-5. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0b013e3181fe8e5a.
2. Rabkin JM, Hunt TK. Local heat increases blood flow and oxygen tension in wounds. Arch Surg. 1987 Feb;122(2):221-5. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1987.01400140103014
3. Chelnis J, Garcia CN, Hamza H. Multi-Frequency RF Combined with Intense Pulsed Light Improves Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease Due to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Clin Ophthalmol. 2023 Oct 20;17:3089-3102. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S426564.
Read other stories about ODs who are using Lumenis technology in their practices.
