Tratamientos
What is it?
Blephex consists in a microexfoliation and debridement of the eyelid margin that is performed in the area of the external cavities of the meibomian glands, removing bacteria, biofilm and bacterial toxins in the base of the eyelashes. It is conducted in the doctor’s office and it is very fast (approximately 15 minutes). In a first session the physician determines the need to repeat the procedure according to its development.
When is it convenient to perform it?
This procedure seeks to improve the quality and stability of the lacrimal film, alleviate the patient’s symptoms in the long term and reduce the inflammation associated to the dry eye. It is recommended for patients with chronic blepharitis.
What is it?
This innovative treatment allows restoring the normal function of the meibomian glands and reducing inflammation, thereby enhancing the quality of the tear and the patient’s life. The procedure is carried out at least in three sessions, with a gap of one month between them. After the third session the patient is evaluated to decide whether another session is needed.
When is it convenient to perform it?
Blepharitis and meibomitis are eyelid margin pathologies, the most frequent cause being the dry eye. They affect the tear quality, either due to an inflammation of the meibomian glands or the base of the eyelashes. They may also generate redness in the eyelid margin, itching, eyelash loss and sties. Where no improvement is achieved through eyelid margin hygiene and local treatment, intense pulsed light (IPL) can be performed to drain the eyelid glands.
This next-generation laser-assisted system is apt to customize ophthalmology treatments for the retina according to each patient’s needs, turning it into the first laser of this kind in the country.
Navilas laser offers more accuracy and control during the procedure because it provides a visual guide that assures that non-intended areas of the retina are not affected. Besides, the treatment can be adapted to different retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration, thus enabling greater treatment customization.
Also, Navilas laser provides more comfort to patient, as it is little invasive and lasts a short time, which diminishes the discomfort experienced by the patient during and after the procedure. Likewise, the risk of complications is mitigated thanks to laser precision, minimizing damages to healthy tissues and reducing the chances of unwanted side effects.
Lastly, Navilas laser has also been designed to be effective and optimize procedure time, making it an excellent alternative for ophthalmology treatments.
Photobiomodulation therapy is an innovative treatment for dry-type age-related macular degeneration (DMRE). DMRE is a retinal degenerative disease that may compromise the central vision (the one we use to read). In its advanced form, DMRE evolves into what is known as geographical atrophy, that is, the macula’s generalized atrophy, which causes irreversible loss of the central vision.
Before VALEDA there was no treatment option for this type of maculopathy. The recommendations for this pathology would consist of changes in lifestyle (food and no smoking) and vitamin supplements.
VALEDA (VALEDA LIGHT DELIVERY SYSTEM – LumiThera) is the first treatment approved by the European Union for dry-type DMRE, and consists in the application of LED-type lights of diverse wavelength at the level of the macula. This stimulation acts mainly at the level of a cellular organelle called mitochondrion, responsible for producing cell energy, generating synthesis optimization and energy use, and reducing inflammatory cascades, among other benefits.
The aim is to slow down as much as possible the natural progression of the disease. It is a non-invasive, rapid, painless treatment requiring no pupil dilation. One treatment consists of 9 sessions conducted within a term of 3 weeks. Each session lasts only 4 minutes per eye. Ideally, 2-3 cycles a year are conducted to achieve optimal results (every 4 months).
There are no adverse effects, except for a temporary dazzle (only a few minutes) just after the treatment finishes.
LIGHTSITE III is the largest, randomized, controlled clinical trial that tested the effects of photobiomodulation in dry AMD using the VALEDA system. The trial compared the results between a group of people who received VALEDA therapy and a group that did not. It was concluded that VALEDA presents an excellent safety profile; that patients who received therapy showed improved visual sharpness (average of more than 5 letters gained) compared with a group that did not receive therapy; the percentage of patients who experienced loss of vision sharpness was greater in the group that did not receive therapy versus the group that did receive it; and the appearance of new atrophy areas was significantly higher in the group not receiving therapy (24% versus 6.8%). The findings correspond to a period of 24 months.
This indicates the clear benefit of this therapy in patients with intermediate-advanced dry DMRE. As such, the early diagnosis of this pathology is important especially in cases where there is family history. DMRE diagnosis is performed in the physician’s office by means of a fundoscopy and subsequent macular OCT (optical coherence macular tomography).