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Dry eye disease is a major and increasing eye health problem with effects on quality of life, including reading, computer use and driving. Symptoms of dry eye include burning, scratchiness, grittiness, foreign body sensation, tearing, redness, blurred vision and sensitivity to light. For over thirty years, Korb & Associates have played a major role in dry eye research, leading to an understanding of the cause of dry eyes, diagnosis and methods of treatment. The research began in the 1980’s with collaboration with Dr. Antonio Henriquez of Barcelona, Spain which resulted in a publication, Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. The meibomian glands are located in the eyelids and secrete an oily substance called lipid through openings along the lid margins. This lipid material provides the outermost layer of the tear film, giving it good quality and preventing it from evaporating quickly. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) occurs when there is a blockage of the opening of the glands, preventing the secretion of the lipids. In addition to creating the symptoms of dry eye, MGD may also result in inflammation and chronic infections. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society, a prestigious international organization whose mission is devoted to advancing research and a better understanding of the tear film and dry eye, reported in 2008 that MGD, originally described and named by Korb & Henriquez, is the most common form of dry eye. MGD is the cause of the evaporative dry eye. Dr. Korb is the founder of two companies dedicated to dry eye research. Ocular Research of Boston developed the only two dry eye products specifically for MGD, SootheXP™ by Bausch & Lomb, first marketed in 2004, and Systane Balance™ by Alcon, introduced in 2010 after twelve years of joint research with Alcon. In 2005, Dr. Korb co-founded TearScience, Inc. to develop methods of restoring meibomian gland function and thus increase lipid secretion to provide relief of evaporative dry eye. TearScience, Inc.’s research efforts have resulted in 40 patent applications, numerous patents granted, and approval of the LipiFlow device for treatment of dry eye in Canada and Europe (USA approval pending). TearScience, Inc. and Korb & Associates have also developed two new diagnostic instruments for the diagnosis of factors critical to lipid deficiency and MGD: the LipiView and the Meibomian Gland Evaluator. If you have been unable to obtain relief from either over-the-counter or prescription remedies you have tried, it may be because they have not targeted the primary cause of your condition. To determine the cause, you should consider having an initial dry eye evaluation at our office. When calling for an appointment, please identify the symptoms you are having and state that you would like to be seen for an initial dry eye evaluation. Diagnostic visits may or may not be partially or completely covered by insurance plans. Treatment regimes for dry eye are based on thorough diagnostic workups. This frequently requires multiple exams of several hours duration. The first visit is utilized to understand the nature and complexity of the condition. Treatments are varied and may include conventional methods and medications or custom procedures developed by our group. As a patient with dry eye, you will receive the advantage of our 30 years of specialization in this area, and the developments resulting from our extensive research programs which have benefited from funding of over $20,000,000. |