PRP (platelet-rich plasma) eye drops are exclusively formulated by board-certified ophthalmologist Melinda C. O’Rourke, MD, at Essence Laser & Wellness.
What is PRP?
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. It is simply blood that has been treated to concentrate the platelets. Platelets are a gold mine of growth factors, stem cells, and cell-signaling molecules (cytokines) that support tissue healing and regeneration. PRP is used in many specialties, including orthopedics, dermatology, aesthetics, gynecology, and hair loss. Only recently has it been accepted as an excellent treatment for dry eyes, and it is used mostly in Europe and Canada. At Essence, we use PRP for aesthetic treatments, dry eye, and lash enhancement.
How are PReye Drops different from Serum tears?
Serum is created by centrifuging blood, which removes red and white blood cells but also platelets. The remaining plasma contains some vitamins and fibronectin, which helps support tissue healing, but it contains virtually no platelets. As a result, serum tears have a very low concentration of growth factors and are much less effective at healing corneal and conjunctival cells in dry eye than PRP eye drops. See references below.
How are PReye Drops prepared?
Only 11 cc of blood is needed to prepare PRP eye drops, obtained through a routine blood draw. For a smooth blood draw and optimal volume, hydrate with 8 glasses of water the day prior, and 2 glasses of water 30 minutes prior, and avoid alcohol for 24 hours prior to the blood draw. The blood sample is processed to produce PReye Drops packaged in sterile eye dropper bottles. There are many PRP technologies on the market with varying degrees of purity and potency. At Essence Laser, we use the latest PRP technology to achieve the highest platelet purity and concentration, creating a superior product in our PReye Drops.
How do I use my PReye Drops?
The recommended dosage is 1 drop in each eye 2 times daily, but in more severe cases or during flare-ups, it can be used as often as necessary. It’s a product of one’s own healing factors, so it is not possible to use too much. Each draw should provide about 6 months of drops using it twice daily.
To get the most out of your PReye Drops, use the following technique: Look in a mirror, tilt your head back slightly, and bring the tip of the eyedropper near your eye. Tip the bottle up about 20-30 degrees and gently squeeze until you see a drop form at the tip. Bring the drop close enough to the eye so that the tear film absorbs it by osmosis, without touching the tip to the eye. The tear film should feel full, without tear overflow, for the perfect drop.
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Place all bottles in the freezer, except one bottle in the refrigerator for current use.
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The bottle in the refrigerator can be kept up to 4 weeks, but must be discarded after that.
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Defrost the tears by refrigerating them for a day. DO NOT MICROWAVE.
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Write the expiration date on the bottle, which is 4 weeks after removal from the freezer.
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The bottles can be kept frozen for up to 6 months.
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Gently shake the bottle before instilling drops.
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NEVER share PRP drops with anyone.
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If you are using other medicated drops, wait 10 minutes between drops.
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If you wear contact lenses, instill PRP drops before and after contact lens wear.
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If you experience pain, irritation, blurry vision, redness, or any other adverse symptoms, please call your eye doctor immediately.
How much do they cost?
The cost is $400 per blood draw. This will allow for about a 6 month supply depending on the frequency of eye drops, and using the recommended technique:
Under the supervision of Melinda C. O’Rourke, MD, Essence Laser and Wellness is a referral center for specialty dry eye therapy and a medical aesthetics practice, not a routine ophthalmology practice. We ask that you provide a copy of a recent eye exam prior to treatment when seeking IPL for dry eye and/or the PReye™ shot. No exam is necessary for PReye Drops or PRP for aesthetic purposes.
Ask us about our IPL/PReye bundling packages.
References
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Murtaza F, Toameh D, Chiu HH, Tam ES, Somani S. Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Drops for Evaporative Dry Eye Disease from Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Pilot Study. ClinOphthalmol. 2022 Jul 6;16:2199-2208. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S367807. PMID: 35821787; PMCID: PMC9271282.
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Mohammad, E., Lamie, N., Ismail, A., Mansour, M. (2022). ‘Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma versus Autologous Serum Eye Drops in Treatment of Severe Dry Eye Disease’, International Journal of Medical Arts, 4(8), pp. 2542-2549. doi: 10.21608/ijma.2022.152958.1490
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Paterson Christopher A, O’Rourke Melinda C. Vitamin C levels in human tears. Arch Ophthalmol. 1987 Mar;105(3):376-7. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1987.01060030096034.PMID: 3827714.
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Fogagnolo P, De Cilla’ S, Alkabes M, Sabella P, Rossetti L. A Review of Topical and Systemic Vitamin Supplementation in Ocular Surface Diseases. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 10;13(6):1998. doi: 10.3390/nu13061998. PMID: 34200595; PMCID: PMC8228525.
